


Steven Universe-Crystal Gems Momswap

by 444teme444



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Momswap, Momswap AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 161,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26602138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/444teme444/pseuds/444teme444
Summary: Have you ever wondered what the world of Steven Universe would be like, if Peridot, Lapis and Jasper were the ones to raise Steven? If you have, then there's something deeply, deeply wrong with you, but luckily that also means that this will be the perfect story for you to read, so please give it a try :)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 30





	1. Three Clods and A Baby

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. So, this is basically a Momswap version of Steven Universe, with Peridot, Jasper and Lapis, replacing Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst as Steven's caretakers. I know this is popular AU for people to use, but this is mostly for a bit of fun, and to let me explore something a little different with my writing, so I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Please note, I "may" take suggestions from people depending on what they are. I certainly won't be doing any episode that doesn't involve the Crystal Gems in a significant way, otherwise it would just be redundant. But if you have any ideas and would like to let me know, please leave the m in a review
> 
> Anywho, on to the chapter

It was an exceptionally cold blizzard passing through Beach City that winter. A blizzard like this was such a rare phenomenon to occur in this particularly small part of the world, that it wouldn't happen again for about another fourteen years.

The blizzard had brought so much snow and ice, that was no longer viable for Greg Universe and his infant son Steven to spend the rest of winter living in the Greg's van, least not without dying of frostbite. Luckily, his good friend and occasional material figure, Vidalia allowed them to live in her house while she was away.

After an already strenuous day, Greg was taking the opportunity to catch up on some sleep, snoozing away on Vidalia's couch. In his arms was a baby Steven, snuggly bundled up in his blanket. Suddenly, Steven began to fidget from underneath his blanket, waking Greg up.

"Hey, Shtoo-ball" he said, still sounding a bit tired, but not the least bit upset at having his moment of rest disturbed. "What are you doing, all dancing in there? You wanna get out there and show me your moves?"

Greg lightly tickled Steven with his index and blew raspberries into his stomach in an effort to settle his son. Steven remained restless however, pulling his arms out from his blankets, revealing his exposed chest, as well as the pink gem stone that was in the place of his belly button

"Hey now" Greg said. "You unbuttoned all your buttons I buttoned up"

Greg lay the restless Steven down on the couch and began to refasten the buttons on his pajamas, but no sooner had he finished, did Steven pulled them open once again.

"Does your gem need to _breath_?" Greg said, staring the pink coloured stone, which momentarily appeared to shimmer under the light. He hadn't the foggiest idea what the significance of Steven's gem was, and he knew for a fact that he probably never would. He knew other people would probably be casting Steven inquisitive looks for the rest of his life if they ever saw a gemstone embedded into his belly

Anyone who did see it just assumed it that it must have been some kind of odd accessory and they seemed to call Greg's parental skills into question as to why he would allow such a thing to be placed on his child's body. Then again, Greg's self-esteem regarding his parenting skills wasn't that high to begin with.

But Greg didn't really care what Steven's gem meant to other people. He only cared what it meant to himself and what he hoped it would mean to Steven someday. A precious keepsake of Steven's mother, Rose Quartz. It was the only thing he had of Rose that he could give Steven.

"Hmm, how about this?" Greg closed the buttons once again but this time, left the lowers open so that Steven's gem could remained exposed in a diamond shaped patch of skin. Steven smiled contently, clearly happy with this compromise.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Leaving Steven alone on the couch, Greg got to his feet and opened the door.

"Oh, um, hey, y'all" he said, somewhat surprised. Standing on the front porch of Vidalia's house, unperturbed the blistering cold of the blizzard, was Rose Quartz three closest companions, the Crystal Gems….

…..Just not the ones you were expecting

In the middle of the trio, standing opposite Greg at the roughly equal height, was the green skinned Peridot, smiling with great enthusiasm and holding careful wrapped present between her metal, cylinder shaped fingers.

To her right was the hulking, orange figure of Jasper, carrying a much larger box under one arm and appearing visibly disgruntled by the situation, an unpleasant scowl spread across her face.

And to the left was the blue, in this case both literally and metaphorically, Lapis Lazuli; her eyes were cast downwards, her expression a mix between sadness and apathy. In her arms, she was clutching a small parcel close to her chest.

"Ta-da!" Peridot whispered, presenting her gift to Greg.

"Hello, Greg" Jasper greeted as courteous as she could, though her voice sounded as delicate as a jackhammer on granite. "We're here with some gifts for the…..puny Rose thing"

"Really, Jasper?" Peridot said in a condescending tone of voice, turning to face her fellow Crystal Gem. "How many times must we go over this? It's not _Rose_. It's a Gem-Human hybrid mutant aberration that defies all known laws of Gemetics and science"

* * *

"Did you really need to mention that part?" Greg had paused in the middle of his story, guitar still strummed in his hands, when Peridot had decided to interject with a specific recollection of her own words.

Peridot, now lacking her limp enhancers, was sitting crossed legged in the middle of the floor, in front of the couch where Greg was laying. Sitting on the floor beside the couch was Lapis, curled up next to Steven, who had been listening intently to Greg's story. On the other side of the room, Jasper was laying on her side, her head resting on one arm, facing the fire, eating away at a large bag of marshmallows.

Glancing around the room, Peridot crossed her arms unabashedly. "I'm helping to establish _con_ -text".

Steven turned to his father with a helpless smile and just shrugged, knowing from experience that there was nothing else to be said whenever Peridot spoke her mind. Greg smiled back at him and continued his story.

* * *

"Can I get you guys anything?" Greg offered the Gems as they entered Vidalia's house. "We've got some water, old plates. Um, how about some tea?"

Lapis, who was the last Gem to enter the room, briefly glanced over to Greg and then back down to the floor.

"No" she said, her voice barely audible and sounded as though it was a strain for her to even speak. "We're just here to leave these gifts"

Jasper sat down on the couch, next to the baby Steven. She eyed him strangely, as though she was unsure of what to make of him, but on the whole, she looked as if she found him rather unimpressive.

Peridot, who had been sure to remain hidden behind Greg as they came in, quickly scurried over to the opposite end of the couch and crouched down behind arm rest, peering at Steven over the edge with great intent, while keeping herself at a cautionary distance.

Lapis silently walked over to the coffee table and simply dropped down to the floor in front of it, keeping her back everyone else. From his spot on the couch, Steven stared at the blue gem on Lapis back, transfixed by it.

"Here" Jasper said, handing Greg her gift first; a large square box, decorated with an oversized pink ribbon. Greg happily accepted Jasper's gift and began to tear off the wrapping paper.

To his credit, he wasn't exactly sure what to be expecting, but it still came as a surprise for him when found that, underneath the paper, was a nothing but a large, blank, cardboard box. Confused, he opened the lid of the box, but saw that it completely empty.

"This is…just a box?" he said to Jasper

"Yeah and I gift wrapped it for you" Jasper said, crossing her arms and giving a nonchalant shrug in response. "That's how you know it's a gift, right?"

"But there's nothing inside" Greg replied.

Jasper blinked, looking genuinely confused for a moment. "Was there supposed to be?" she asked.

"You know what, it's fine" Greg said, with a positive smile. "We can always use a spare box"

"Open mine next!" Peridot said excitedly, thrusting her gift in front of Greg. She was literally twitching with giddy anticipation as she watched him unwrap it.

"Oh, sweet!" Greg said, this time clearly pleased by what he had found; an expensive looking video camcorder. "A new video camera. This is actually a pretty cool thing to have for a baby"

"Well, of course" Peridot said, unwilling, though more accurately _unable_ to hide her smugness. "This primitive data capture device should suit our research purposes quite sufficiently"

"Research purposes?" Greg said, confused.

"We're dealing with the first Gem hybrid in existence. It's a specimen that will require years of careful study and observation before we can understand all its functional capabilities".

Peridot raised her right hand; four of her metal fingers levitated in the air, lining up as a square. A translucent, green hologram materialised in the middle of the square and expanded out into the shape of an octagonal computer screen, displaying incomprehensible sequences of data and numbers.

"Now, I've taken the liberty of scheduling a series of periodical conference sessions once ever 30th Earth rotation, over the next twenty years, where we can meet to evaluate your progress and collect your findings" Peridot said, using the remaining digit on her right arm to navigate across her screen.

"Um, yeah, I'll be sure to squeeze something in my calendar" Greg replied dryly.

"So, tell me, have you determined how much it weighs? What is its main source of fuel? Has it demonstrated any combat capabilities? Is it silicon or carbon based?"

Peridot was darting around Steven as she asked each of her questions, trying to look at him from every possible angle she could, as through hoping to unlock mysteries of the small being.

"Ok, let's see". Greg raised his hand and began counting off his fingers. "About one loaf of bread, 3 bottles of warm milk a day, I think he manged to fight off a paper bag once. And I'm pretty sure he's a Leo"

"Excellent" Peridot said, jotting down every word onto her screen. "Updating catalogue for Earth Specimen #374-RXG"

Greg chuckled. "Um, you know he's name is Steven, right? That's the name Rose and I liked the most". He smiled fondly as he remembered the lengthy conversation he had with Rose as to what they should name their child.

"I would have thought of a _superior_ classification" Peridot said, snobbishly. "You should have consulted me"

"Uh, Lapis didn't you have a gift, too?" Greg asked, hoping to change the subject.

Without making a sound or turning to look at Greg, Lapis stretched out her arm to hand him her gift. As soon as he took it from her, Lapis put her arms around her legs, resting her chin down on her knees and staring off into the far wall. As with the other presents, Greg undid the wrapping, this time to reveal a medium sized book. On the cover of it, was a smiling girl, with huge, glistening eyes and bright pink hair.

"Pretty Hairstylist?" Greg said, recognising the popular Japanese comic.

"It's the newest volume" Lapis said quietly. "It came out not long after Rose…". Lapis briefly trailed off, before clearing her throat. "Well, I thought Steven might enjoy it too"

"Uh, thanks Lapis, but Steven can't really read yet" Greg said

"Oh…." If Lapis was disappointed, it was impossible to tell, as she appeared just as unenthusiastic as ever. She might have been sinking deeper into the floor.

"But I promise I'll read it to him all the time" Greg continued, with an understanding smile, through Lapis didn't appear to notice. "Look, thanks for all these gifts. I really appreciate the effort you guys made, but Steven is really too young for most of this kind of stuff. Nowadays, he's really into this."

Greg pulled out the keys to his van from his pocket and started dangling them in front of Steven. As soon as he saw the keys appear, Steven giggled with delight and lifted his hands in the air.

"Carabiner! Carabiner!" Greg sang, causing Steven to laugh even louder, enjoying the performance, no doubt from previous experience.

"What's so special about this thing?" Without asking, Jasper unceremoniously plucked the keys out of Greg's tiny hands and examined them under the light, as if trying to understand the appeal for herself.

Steven turned his attention Jasper and continued to laugh as she rattled the key between her fingers. Jasper then noticed that Steven's eyes were now on her, his tiny hands reaching up for the keys.

Surprised, she slowly lowered the keys down to Steven's level, close enough for him to reach. Steven made a vague attempt to grab the keys, before Jasper pulled them out of his reach. Jasper lowered the keys a second time and repeated the process.

After baiting Steven a few more times with the keys, Jasper's grimace broke and she let out a gruff, almost cruel sounding laugh.

"Look at him. He can't even reach it!" she said, with a humorous sense of incredulity, as she continued to dangle the keys above his head, although her amusement seemed to be border lining on actual mockery. Steven on the other hand, merely clapped his hands together, obviously enjoying the game that they were playing.

Jasper laughed again. "How's he supposed grab anything with those stubby little arms of his? I bet he can't even crush rock with those things!"

"Ooooohhhh!" Peridot dropped to her knees, her eyes sparkling like stars as she started gushing excitedly over Steven from the edge of the couch.

"Fascinating. It appears to be drawn to noises created by metallic prolusion system activators. Quick, quick, quick, Jasper, continue the display. Greg, don't just stand there, get the camera!" she snapped frantically at him.

While everyone else in the room was busy with Steven, Lapis remined just as detached from the excitement as ever, staring off into the far wall with a vacant expression. But after a while, Lapis finally turned away from the wall and glanced at Steven from over her shoulder, taking a proper look at him for the first time since they had arrived.

Steven laughed even louder, loving the attention he was receiving. Then, out of nowhere, a bright pink, light emitted from the gem on his stomach, startling everyone, human and Gem, that was in the room.

"What's happening to him?" Greg asked, once the light had dissipated, his concern paramount.

"That's Rose…" Lapis whispered.

"Is that even possible?" Peridot said.

"Is he gonna turn into a laser?" Greg exclaimed.

"That _must_ be Rose" Jasper said, in amazement. "She must be trying to shapeshift back into her regular form"

"What?" Greg cried.

"She's not shapeshifting!" Lapis exclaimed, her voice now raising with anxiety and fear. "She's trapped in a baby!"

"Trapped in a baby?!" Greg repeated, his voice on the edge of hysterical.

Lapis climbed over the coffee table, practically knocking Peridot out of her way in the process and spoke directly into Steven's gem. "Rose! Rose can you hear. How do we get you out!? Jasper, Peridot, quick, do something!"

"Will all of you stop panicking?!" Peridot shrieked. "We, but more importantly _I_ , need to assess the situation".

Before anything else could happen, Peridot reformed her finger screen once again. Taking a brief moment to compose herself, she cleared her throat and spoke directly into the screen which began to record.

"Peridot, log date, 5-7-2. This is even more remarkable than originally anticipated. It appears that Earth Specimen #374-RXG, or _Steven_ , as Greg chooses to refer to him, may in fact be some sort of abnormal fusion between Rose and whatever part of Greg that was deemed the most useful. Just now, a luminescent glow emanated from Rose's gem. Unfortunately, this event was not properly documented for later study, as Greg _failed_ in his duties to retrieve the camera. I'll have to re-access his competency as assistant researcher on this project at a later point. Peridot, facet 5".

Finishing her log date with a satisfied smile, Peridot's finger retuned back into the form of a hand and she let out a deep sigh of content, feeling far more relaxed now that she had gotten that off her chest.

Greg, Lapis and Jasper stared blankly at Peridot, unable to formulate any kind of reaction to what just happened. After a prolonged moment of awkward silence, they collectively chose to ignore Peridot's interruption and turned their attention back to the matter at hand.

"Look, something's definitely happening to Steven" Greg said. "What can I do to help?"

"Well, what do you do with a human baby that glows?" Peridot asked casually, a question that sounded far simpler in her own mind.

"First off, human babies don't glow" Greg replied quiet calmly. "And letter number B... what if they do?! Okay. Vidalia has some books on babies I've been reading. They'll help us figure something out".

Greg exited the living room and entered the hallway leading to Vidalia's kitchen. He opened up the top shelf and pulled out one of the baby books he had been reading whenever he had the time

"Calm down" Greg said to himself, trying to maintain a level head, as he made his way back to the living room. "You got this. Guys, if this is anything like a fever, then we should... uh... Guys?"

Greg looked up from the book and found he had returned to a now empty living, seeing no trace whatsoever of Peridot, Jasper, Lapis or more pressingly, his infantile son. And the front door was wide open…..

* * *

"You guys kidnapped me?!" Steven exclaimed, pausing the story for a moment in to comprehend his own shock.

"At the time, it seemed the most… _practical_ course of action, given the circumstance" Peridot said, guardedly.

"We…. kind of panicked" Lapis admitted, blushing sheepishly.

"I'm not sorry" Jasper said bluntly, stuffing a handful of marshmallows into her mouth

* * *

"Steven! My van! Give me back my babies!"

"Greg looks pretty upset" Lapis said, who was in the driver's seat, glancing in the side mirror to see Greg running out of the house and beginning to chase after them in the snow

"Don't worry. We'll make sure no harm comes to his mobile living quarters" Peridot said, evidently not understanding the cause of Greg's concern.

"This is officially too serious of a problem to trust Greg to deal with" Jasper said, standing up in the back of the van, holding baby Steven in one hand. "We need to take control of this situation before it escalates".

"For once, I couldn't agree more with you Jasper" Peridot replied happily. "I'm sure Greg will understand in time that this is for the best".

Peridot climbed into the back of the van, standing before Jasper and Steven. She took the moment to study Steven, rubbing her chin in a pensive manner.

"Now clearly, the root of this problem is that we simply don't have enough data on how to approach it" she said. "Therefore, the logical solution is to just learn more about we're dealing with". Peridot let out a smug, confident smile. "Luckily, I'm already an expert on Gem creation. And I'm sure I can easily figure out how human _babies_ are supposed to function"

Still smiling, Peridot calmly took Steven out of Jasper's hand and lowered herself into a sitting position on the floor of the van, setting Steven down her lap. Holding by the waist with one hand, she raised up her other hand and re-activated her finger screen. Steven stared, hypnotised by the screen.

"Ok, Steven" Peridot said, her tone formal and business like. She brought her finger screen up to Steven's face, showing him the images. "To begin, I'll show you a series of images that will test the upper limits of your cognitive abilities. After that we can focus on testing your reflects, followed by-"

Peridot was suddenly interrupted in the middle of her speech, when she noticed Steven starting to smash his hand against the screen, giggling happily at the beeping sounds it was making.

Blinking in surprise, Peridot cleared her throat and pulled Steven's hands away from her screen.

"Steven, please, let's be serious about this" she said, calmly. Using her remaining single digit, she slid it across the screen, changing the display. "Now, we know you possess an interest in sounds made by _keys,_ so let's determine why that particular frequency resonates with-"

Before Peridot could finish, Steven's hand reached up to the screen again and slide it back across, making him laugh joyously at the fact he could repeat what Peridot had done.

"Steven, please stop that". Peridot sighed, beginning to get impatience due to her lack of progress. "I'm trying to analyse how you work. Now if you just take a look at the screen and-No, don't touch that! "

Once the screen was close enough, Steven reached out again and pressed one of the icons with the tip of his finger, which opened up a different display. Steven continued to press new icons as they appeared at random navigating the screen away from the original page Peridot had set it to, despite her continued protests.

"How can you operate this interface so effectively?" she groaned loudly, manoeuvring the screen away from him. "Now, I need to fix this"

She momentarily let go of Steven so that she could use her left hand to re-adjust the screen display, but once the van hit a small bump, she let out a panicked yelp just as Steven was about to fall off her lap and onto to floor, quickly grabbing hold of him once more. Steven laughed again, having enjoyed the sensation of almost falling, remaining oblivious to the risk of injury.

"I fail to see what's so amusing about this" Peridot said, only becoming more indignant at Steven's laughter. "You are being extremely inconvenient while I am trying to do something important"

Becoming increasingly flustered, Peridot tried keep hold of Steven with her free arm, while also trying to bring up her screen again, but before it could fully form, Steven a grabbed a hold of one of her magnetic finger and began to shake it around like a rattle.

"No, Steven, let go of that!" she said. "That isn't a toy. Let go!" Peridot tried to pull the finger out of Steven's tiny hands, yet he somehow was able to keep hold of it, resolutely not letting it go.

"How can anyone possibly get anything done with one of these things around them? They're such…distracting little…clods!"

Rather than get upset, Steven cooed even happier at the sound of the word clod. Growling in annoyance, Peridot resumed her tug of war with Steven over her magnetic finger

Watching all this from the other side of the van, Jasper slapped her hand up to her face and dragged it down over her eyes, letting out an exasperated groan.

"Stop wasting time with this!" she yelled at Peridot. Jasper reached down and plucked Steven away from her. With just two fingers, she took hold of the magnetic finger and easily pulled out of Steven's grasp, flicking it back over to Peridot. The finger zoomed back on to her hand without instruction.

" _I_ know what the problem and _I_ know how to fix it". Holding Steven up to her face, Jasper stared directly into his eyes.

"Alright, Rose" she said. "I saw that glow. All you have to do, is shapeshift back to your old form. Come on, I know you can do it. You, of all Gems, should be able to do this. You really gonna just stay like that forever?" Jasper let out a cocky grin and adopted a more taunting tone. "What's the matter, lost your edge, huh? Is the _mighty_ Rose Quartz too scared to shapeshift? I could shapeshift all day if I wanted to"

Peridot rolled her eyes, while letting out a derisively scoff, unimpressed by Jasper's ploy to try and coax Rose out, but then, a very devilish thought crossed her mind.

"Perhaps, Jasper" she said, a sly grin on her face. "If you demonstrated that you possess the ability to shapeshift into a _baby_ , it might help to prompt Rose in accepting your challenge of shapeshifting back to normal? That is if you're not too afraid to try and shapeshift into a baby?"

Jasper dropped her smirk and turned to face Peridot with a stunned expression, as she considered the implications of her suggestion. She glanced back to the baby in her hands, and over to the smirking Peridot. For a moment, she seemed to be intimated by the prospect of having to shapeshift into a baby, or at the very least, reluctant to try. But knowing that her own pride was now on the line, Jasper realized she had no choice but to follow through on her challenge.

"Uh, okay" she said, doing her best to hide even a trace of hesitation. Handing Steven back over to Peridot, Jasper stood up. Closing her eyes and concentrating, her entire body turned in a bright white light, and then shrunk down into the form of tiny, orange baby, complete with a pacifier and a diaper.

Peridot was able to contain herself for all of one second. "Wow, Jasper, you look so… _cute!_ Ahaha!"

Peridot broke into a fit of uncontrollable giggles, rolling on to her back, the heels of her metal feet kicking the floor of the van. Baby Steven laughed alongside Peridot, no idea what was happening but infected by her excitement all the same.

While still as a baby, Jasper let out a fierce, inhuman growl that betrayed her innocent appearance. She quickly returned to her giant form and towered furiously over Peridot, who fell soon silent once she noticed Jasper glowering down at her.

Peridot gulped and let out a weak laugh, sweat forming on her brow. Still growling, Jasper threw her hand down at Peridot, causing her to instinctively flinch, expecting a severe sensation of pain to hit her. But when no blow came, Peridot opened her eyes and saw that Jasper had instead, picked Steven up once again.

"Enough is enough already, Rose" Jasper said, holding Steven back up to her face. "Whatever this is, whatever's happened to you, you can fight it. You can win! How could you possibly let yourself be beaten by this…this little…."

Steven gurgled loudly and patted Jasper's orange gem that was in place of her nose, mesmerised by how pretty it looked.

Jasper let out a furious yell, finally giving into her frustration. "I don't get this at all! Rose Quartz was the greatest warrior I've ever known. The only Gem I ever acknowledged as superior to me. The Gem I'd gladly follow into battle. But this _thing_ " she said, glaring at Steven, with what seemed closed to contempt. "It's so small and squishy and weak. It doesn't even know what's going on"

Bringing Steven up her eyes, she screamed at him, letting lose all her pent-up fury. "How can this pathetic little thing be all that's left of Rose Quartz?!"

There was a brief moment of ringing silence following Jasper's outburst. Then, Steven began to whimper, appearing upset since the first time the Gems had arrived to see him. It didn't long for his whimpering to translate to tears and then to full on sobbing.

Jasper recoiled from Steven as he began to cry, immediately regretting what she had done. Her anger was now gone and was replaced by uncharacteristic bout of terror, something Jasper was not used to. She held Steven out away from her body as he continued to sob loudly, fearing that she may have somehow broken him and clearly had no idea how to fix him.

"Jasper, look at what you've done! You made him cry!" Peridot chastised.

"Well, here, make him stop!" Jasper replied, desperately placing Steven back into her arms.

"What I'm _I_ supposed to do about it?!" Peridot said, raising her voice over Steven's wailing.

"How should I know? You're the expert on human babies!"

"No, I was said it would be _easy_ to figure out. And I obviously overestimated my abilities!"

And it was at that point, that Lapis decided she had enough.

Slamming her foot on the break, the van came to an abrupt stop, pulling into the side of the road. Both Peridot and Jasper ceased their arguing when they realized they had stopped moving, though Steven continued to cry. They turned to face the driver's seat, as Lapis undid her seat belt.

The next they knew, two giant palms of water grabbed them by their respective heads and separated them from each other, pushing their bodies against either side of the van before they even had a chance to react.

Steven, who was still secured in Peridot's arms, ceased his crying and began to giggle happily at the sight of both her and Jasper, their faces now comically enlarged by the water

Not a saying a single word, Lapis took Steven from Peridot and then kneeled down on the floor of the van, carefully cradling Steven in her arms. He turned his face up to Lapis and stared at her with a child's curiosity and wonder, unable to comprehend the depths of sadness etched across her face.

"Rose, please" she said, her voice practically trembling with emotion. "Talk to me. Let me hear your voice again. You _have_ to still be in there. I can still see you. Why can't you come out? Why can't you at least let us know that you're ok? Why can't-". Lapis suddenly choked up, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a quiet sob

"Why can't…. you let me help you…. the way you helped me?"

The water holding Jasper and Peridot in place dissolved, Lapis no longer able to maintain control, and splashed to the floor of the van. Freed, Jasper and Peridot now stood opposite the weeping Lapis and the infant Steven.

Shocked by Lapis' breakdown, they turned to face other; Peridot was biting down on her fingers with a heartbroken expression, while Jasper hung her head down low, her tough exterior giving way to the shame she felt.

They had been trying to deal with this transition in their own way, but it was only now, did they realize how much they had been ignoring Lapis since Rose had left them, forgetting how painful all of this had been for her, the sum total of their guilt giving way to everything else they felt.

Nodding in agreement, they knew this wasn't time for them to keep bickering. They each moved to either side of Lapis and sat down, listening to her as she continued to cry. After a while, Jasper put a firm hand on her shoulder, to help comfort her. Lapis looked up at Jasper in surprise and the over to Peridot, who gave her a small, timid smile in response. Lapis let out a deep sigh. Though it went unspoken, she would always be deniably grateful for their companionship.

"Every time I look at her" she said, lightly tracing her hand over Steven's gem. "Every time I see her gem, all I keep thinking is that she's trapped. That's she locked away somewhere she can't be free. Like's she begging to be released. And that I should be the one trying to save her this time"

Lapis moved her hand up from the gem and onto to the top of Steven's head, resting it on his bushel of black hair.

"Lapis," Peridot said, quietly. "This was Rose's decision. You know that"

"Yeah" Jasper said, heavily, staring down at her clenched knuckles. "Rose always did things her own way. She never looked back or regretted her actions. That's just...how she ways. It's why we admired her so much"

"I just don't know if I can be ready for this" Lapis said, wiping away a tear from her other cheek. "Everything's so different now. It was hard enough for me, for all of us, to get used to life on Earth as it was. It's easy for humans because they can grow and change, but it's not the same for us."

Fresh tears appearing in her eyes, Lapis hung her head down close to Steven's gem, close enough that one of her tear drops landed on it. She felt those familiar feelings of sorrow swell up inside and knew full well how pointless it would be to try and deny them.

From down in her arms, Steven cocked his head at Lapis, the pain and sadness that she was feeling far beyond his capacity to understand, yet it was still enough to earn his curiosity. Reaching up to her face, he touched another tear drop as it rolled down on her cheek; Lapis opened her eyes and pulled her head back up, letting out a soft gasp, appearing visibly stunned by what he had done. Steven stared blankly at the clear liquid on his hand. Until now, he had never seen tears before.

"Well, you know… if Steven really is part human, then growing and changing will be normal for him. Or at least part normal" Jasper said, rubbing the back of head, in an effort to sound more insightful than she felt. There was a long moment of silence in the van, aside from Steven's occasional gurgle.

"What should we do now?" Peridot asked, for once, sounding rather small, hugging her legs to her chest.

"We need to do want Rose would have wanted us to do" Jasper said.

"No" Lapis said, unexpectedly. Drying her eyes, she took a deep inhale and steadied herself. "This isn't about Rose anymore. And it's not about us either. From now on, we have to what's best… for Steven."

Lapis looked at the tiny baby in her hands, and then, for the first time in a very long while, she smiled. She smiled wider, brighter and happier than she had in so long. But things didn't stop with just a smile.

In an unprecedented gesture, Lapis snuck her tongue out at Steven, which made him giggle even louder and mimic her actions. Lapis reformed her water wings and used them to cover up her eyes, while she made silly faces to Steven. All her previous gloom and bleakness had vanished; she now appeared as happy, innocent and as carefree as the child she was holding in her hands.

"Who's a chubby little baby?" she teased, her voice as sweet honey, while sounding like an overly enthusiastic caregiver. "Who's a chubby little baby?" Lapis pulled Steven up closer and blew raspberries into his stomach, causing Steven to squeal with delight.

Blinking twice in unison, Jasper and Peridot shared another look with each other, the both of them equally caught off guard by Lapis' abrupt turn around in disposition, unsure whether to be relieved or concerned.

Before either of them had a chance to dwell on it further, they suddenly heard the sound of a voice, a voice that unmistakably belonged to Greg, approaching them. Moving up to the rear door of the van, Jasper spotted Greg running toward them in the snow, wrapped in a blanket, and for some reason, he was being chased by a dog that was dragging a sled that was tied to its neck by a rope.

Jasper opened up the door just as Greg was about to collide with the van, and shut it closed behind him after he had jumped inside.

"Ugh, thanks" he said gratefully. Greg looked up to see Lapis holding Steven in her arms and he quickly remembered when they were here in the first place. "Hey, wait a minute! Why did you take Steven on a joyride in the middle of a blizzard? What's the big idea?"

Lapis gave Greg an innocent smile, before immediately handing Steven back over to him, tucking her arms and wings in behind her back.

Peridot cleared her throat and spoke first. "Um, our apologies. Greg. Our actions may have been somewhat impulsive, but as you can clearly see, no harm whatsoever came to your van"

"We're sorry, Greg" Jasper iterated, in a surprisingly humbler tone. "We didn't really know what Steven was and tried to figure things out our own way, I guess. Things got out of hand"

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I know what Steven is either" Greg said, with a sympathetic smile. "I never glowed when I was a kid"

"I know what Steven is" Lapis said, her voice and expression turning serious, causing everyone to turn their heads to her. She moved closer to Steven, still in Greg's arms and then broke into another happy smile.

"He's an adorable little cutie pie!" Lapis teased the happy Steven, tickling the under side of his belly with her finger.

Peridot leaned over Lapis shoulder and began to examine Steven with renewed scrutiny. "How did you come to the conclusion that he was a pastry?"

Greg laughed again. "Look, I don't know how we're gonna figure this out, but I think we'll have a better shot if we do it together"

Crystal Gems acknowledged their agreement; Jasper crossed her arms and gave a curt nod of her head, prepared to accept the responsibility. Peridot replied with an eager thumbs-ups, more than ready for the challenges ahead. Lapis just closed her eyes and smiled that same strange smile, masking any misgivings she may have had.

No matter how different they were to each other, they now had one thing absolute in common between them; Steven.

* * *

"Wow. You guys were wrong about everything" Steven said, once the story had finished.

"Yeah, we really didn't have any idea what we were doing" Lapis said

"Well, I definitely had no idea" Greg admitted without shame.

"We messed up and made some mistakes" Jasper said, plopping once last marshmallow in her mouth. "It happens"

"I'd like to point that I was statistically the least wrong out of the four of us" Peridot said, matter-of-factly.

"No, I mean, about changing and growing" Steven explained. "And how it doesn't come naturally to you? But look at you now! I know you'll never stop missing Mom, but I bet she would've loved this. I do"

"We know she would Steven" Lapis said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"You thought that was bad?" Jasper chuckled. "Remember when that teenaged girl kidnapped Steven?"

"That was his babysitter" Greg said, his voice still ringing with disbelief as he recalled that particular event. "She took him to the park. And you threw a jungle gym at her"

"Well, Lapis is the one who threw the bus at her" Jasper said defensively, jerking her thumb over to her. Lapis threw Jasper an annoyed look in response.

"Well, whoever she was, she was clearly bad at her job" Peridot said. "Our abduction of Steven was strategically more successful".

Though she hadn't intended that as a joke, Peridot blushed as everyone began to laugh at her comment, making her feel slightly embarrassed.

Fourteen years ago, an exceptionally cold blizzard passed through Beach City and it was during that blizzard, that three Crystal Gems, a human, and baby all came together to form something entirely new; something they wouldn't fully understand until fourteen years later, when another exceptionally cold blizzard would pass through Beach City.

They were a family.


	2. Too Many Birthdays

"Whoa. So, this is what your room looks like Jasper?" Steven said, marvelling at the sight of her personal room for the very first time.

Steven, along with Jasper, Lapis and Peridot, were trekking through what appeared to be a huge underground cavern, deep below the foundations of the Temple. The walls were made of solid rock and resembled steep mountain cliffs. The ground was compromised of pure red sand, that left imprints of their footprints as they walked, much like a real desert. Next to the footprints was a thin and unbroken line drawn in the sand that ran all the way back to the entrance of the room, curtesy of Steven trailing a stick he was carrying across the ground.

The landscape of the room was comprised of nothing but rock, ranging huge chunks of boulders the size of a house, to dozens of tiny granite cobbles, scattered about everywhere. Some of the rocks were piled up together in one big heap, while others were stacked on each other forming vague, incoherent structures.

The only consistent formations were large, rectangular shaped pillars, standing upright in the sand. Strange, unreadable runes were craved onto the sides of the pillars, while the edges and corner were sharp, lined with some kind of metal. Besides each of these pillars was a single thick, metal chains embedded into the top of the pillar.

Numerous glowing, red diamond shaped crystals hovered above their heads, close to the celling of the room, providing an ambient source of light that covered everything in an orange tint.

"How you can live in this type of environment is beyond me" Peridot said with distaste, eyes focused on her the finger-screen hovering in place of her hand. "Look all this disorganised mess. Totally devoid of any kind of logical structure or purpose. How do you even find your through here?"

The Gems stopped as they approached a large boulder that was blocking their path. Reeling her arm back, Jasper punched the center of boulder, splitting clean in a half with absolute ease and effectively unblocking their path.

"I don't come into your room and complain about how it looks" Jasper retorted, clapping some of the dust off her hands. "If you don't like, you can leave"

"We are not stopping until we find the source of that foul odour that's polluting the temple" Peridot said, shuddering with revulsion. She looked down to her finger-screen. "And my scanners indicate it's somewhere in your room, Jasper"

"Ugh, you don't need scanners to find it" Lapis said, pinching her nose as she stepped over pieces of the boulder. "Just go wherever the smell gets worse".

They continued through Jasper's room, in the direction where the smell was strongest. They arrived at the edge of the cliffs, where they found three huge tunnels craved out in the rock. Each tunnel was about the size of garage door and was filled to the brim with hundreds of random objects, ranging from the everyday to the exotic. These included, yet definitely not limited to, books, furniture, garden gnomes, car engines, a full sized canoe, Terracotta statues, disco balls, a half-made space capsule, a sarcophagus, a guillotine, medicine balls, an entire stack of various playing cards, a shipping container, a golf cart, a churro stand, and somehow, a T-Rex skull.

"What are these holes for?" Steven asked. "And why are they filled with so much junk?"

"These are my junk holes" Jasper said, standing next to Steven. "Rose used to tell me that if I wanted to appreciate life on Earth, then I should start by appreciating the all different things made on Earth. Something about the endless, ever changing wonders of this world. I usually toned out when she went all speech-y like that. Anyway, whenever I find some new I like stuff, I add it to my pile. When the pile gets too big, I make another hole"

Steven continued to gaze around the individual piles of mismatched items, unable to take all of them due to all of them different, yet he did notice one underlying theme they seemed to have in common.

"How come nearly everything you have looks broken?" he asked.

Jasper remained silent for a very long moment before she answered in a very stiff manner. "Earth stuff is fragile"

"What kind of irrational being would throw all their belongings into a giant hole?" Peridot said, scornfully.

"It kinda remind of my Dad's storage unit where he keeps all his stuff" Steven said with adorable innocence.

"Thank you for agreeing with me, Steven" Peridot said, perfectly serious, her eyes on her screen.

Steven turned his head back to Jasper's junk hole and began prodding away at the various items with his stick when he felt it hit something small and squishy wedged in between a broken record player and a jewelled encrusted Aztec skull. Taking a quick sniff of the air, he confirmed that this was the source of the stench they had been tracking.

"I found it!" he called out to the others, reaching in to pick up the object. Shaking away some of the excess sand, Steven saw that the source of the odour was a bundle of tinfoil wrapped around something.

Before Steven could do anything with it, a green beam of energy hit the tinfoil, suspending it in a hovering bubble. The source of the beam was coming from the palm of Peridot's metal hand.

"Steven, get back!" Peridot positioned herself between Steven and the bubble in a protective manner. Releasing her bubble, she held the tinfoil in her hand, examining with a scientific curiosity.

"We must exercise caution. This appears to be some sort of specialised alloy housing a potentially volatile substance. I'll need to extract a sample to help us understand what we're dealing with"

Using two of her cylindrical fingers, she gripped the edge of the tin foil wrapping and meticulously began to pull it apart. The instant she did, a blue mushroom cloud of pure fungal rot burst out from within the wrapping, releasing a faint hissing noise that sounded akin to a someone dying, spraying Peridot directly in the face.

Her eyes bulging out of her sockets and her cheeks puffing outward like a bloated fish, Peridot dropped the tinfoil to the ground and clutched her throat, physically chocking on the stench she had just engulfed.

"I've been infected!" she screamed, gaging on her own words. "It's some kind of deadly parasitic bacteria. It's eroding my body from the inside. It's compromising the structural integrity of my gem! I can feel it beginning to shatter. This is the end for us all! We're doom!"

With one final, prolonged gasp, Peridot fell to the ground, lying perfectly still, her face buried in the sand. Without checking if she was alright, Jasper calmly stepped right over her fallen figure and picked up the bundle of tinfoil without the least bit of fear.

"That's not a virus" she said. She pulled the tinfoil apart, revealing what was inside; a mouldy piece of brown gunk, wrapped in a layer of expired bread. "It's my tuna burrito that I got from Aqua-Mexican".

"Didn't that place close down like five years ago?" Steven said, in disbelief.

"So, I guess we can't return it then, huh?" Lapis said, dryly. Down at her feet, Peridot gripped the helm of Lapis' skirt and used it as leverage to pull herself up. She then literally began to drag her way up Lapis' body, latching onto her hip and then her arm, like a mountaineer overcoming an impossible summit. Lapis glanced down at Peridot and remained casually still as she clambered up the side of her body, making no effort to help her, yet at the same time, appeared quite indifferent to fact she was being used as a Gem step ladder.

Standing up right again, Peridot held onto Lapis' shoulder to steady herself, gasping for breath, her legs still shaking.

"We have to destroy that…. thing!" she said, brandishing her hand at the burrito. "Its repulsive mixture of rotting vegetation and aquatic protein is contaminating the temple. We'll have to use some sort of incendiary device to disintegrate it and sterilise the surrounding area". Peridot brought up the display on her finger-screen, showing images of what appeared to be a large machinal machine, with flames erupting from the sides.

"Or perhaps if we can create a stable field of quantum energy, we could break it apart at the molecular level?" The image on the screen changed to show the burrito in a field of energy.

"Or could we jettison it into space, directly into the sun or a nearby black hole". The screen changed again, playing a scrolling video that depicted the burrito being placed inside the compartment of a small rocket engine and fired up into the sky, breaking through Earth's atmosphere.

"Or maybe, if could find a big enough vat of acid, we-"

Before Peridot could prattle off any other method of disposal, Jasper went with a much quicker and cleanlier (well, figuratively) solution; she took a bite out of the burrito.

Steven and Lapis both flinched the moment they saw Jasper take that first bite. Peridot's face instantly dropped, looking flabbergasted beyond words, before the strength in her legs gave way to her shock and she toppled to the ground yet again.

Lapis briefly looked down at the twitching Peridot and then over to Jasper. "Why do you keep that stuff anyway?" she asked. "You know we don't need to eat food"

"I like it eating" she replied, taking another bite out of the burrito, the sour beans smearing her face. "It feels a lot like smashing something, but instead of hitting it, you chew it up and shallow. Then poof! It's gone, like it never existed." Adding the appropriate emphasis to her point, Jasper chucked the reminder of the burrito into her mouth and licked away the last pieces of sludge on her lips, with a satisfied smile. Just as she had said, the burrito was now gone.

"Pretty cool, right?"

"Are you sure it's safe to eat that?" Steven asked, concerned. "It might make you sick"

Jasper scoffed boldly and crossed her arms as she proudly boasted. "Gems don't get sick, Steven. Especially not Gems like me"

"No, but we can certainly be disgusted" Peridot said, miserably, getting back to her feet much quicker this time round, though she looked to be devoid of any enthusiasm at this point.

"Oh, hey, look at this" Lapis said. Out of the corner of her eye, she had spotted something else buried within Jasper's junk hole, suddenly becoming far more alert. Shifting away some of the furniture, Lapis pulled out exquisite looking portrait.

"I remember this" Lapis said, with a happy smile. "It's one of the old meep morps we used to keep. I forgot where we left it"

"Meep morps?" Steven repeated.

"That's what Lapis calls art" Peridot explained to Steven in a low voice. She chuckled slightly. "Can you believe the ridiculous terminology that she uses for everyday things?"

The painting was that of Crystal Gems, along with Rose Quartz; it depicted the four of them in a small row boat in the middle of the sea with some human sailors, rescuing a man drowning in the water. In the background was what appeared to be a genuine pirate ship and in the foreground of the painting was Jasper, on the helm of the row boat grabbling with a giant squid that was threatening to capsize them. Behind Jasper, Lapis was standing in pose with her arms raised, levitating the sailors out of the water using her powers; Rose was next to Lapis, her eyes closed, looking as beautiful and serene as always. Peridot was the only one not in the boat. Instead she was above the boat, being flailed around in the air with a look of petrified terror, trapped in one of the squid's tendrils.

"It kinda looks like you guys and my Mom" Steven said, after examining the painting.

"That is us Steven" Lapis said. "The hardest part was getting the squid to pose. But the funniest part was that we had to keep throwing Peridot to it"

"As unpleasant as that experience was, I must admit, my essence was captured quite nicely" Peridot said, admiring the less than dignified depiction of herself with a surprising amount of pride.

"Why is everyone dressed like old timey people?" Steven asked, noticing the clothing they were all wearing.

"Because this portrait was commissioned back in the Earth's colonial, some three hundred years ago" Peridot said. "Appearance modifiers were somewhat more rigid back in those days"

"I really liked the hats though" Lapis said, with fond reminiscence. Steven's attention, however, was focused on something else

"You guys lived all the way back then?" he said in utter amazement. "But, wait. Then how old are you guys?"

"By human standards, all of us are several thousand years old" Peridot said, with a smile. Lapis nodded in agreement. Jasper opened her mouth to say something but suddenly clenched it shut again and inhaling sharply, as if struck by invisible blow. Her body tensed up, sweat beginning to form on her the brow of her forehead.

"Does that mean you'll live forever" Steven continued, excited by such a prospect.

"Gems can't die from aging, but we still get hurt and die" Lapis said gently

Steven briefly appeared disappointed by this news, but his face then lit up again as another thought occurred to him. "How do you guys get a cake big enough for all those candles?"

Lapis glanced over to Peridot, then back to Steven, clearly confused. "Why would we put candles inside a cake? That really doesn't sound safe to eat"

"Hmm". Peridot pulled up her finger-screen and opened another file. "I believe Steven is referring to the human custom of adoring confectionary ornament wheels with combustion sticks that are proportional to the chronological dating figure of a person."

Lapis turned to Peridot, appearing only more confused by her explanation.

"She…. means…. birthdays" Jasper grunted with considerable strain, as though every syllable she uttered was a dagger piercing her between the rips.

"Oh, right, those" Lapis said, understanding at once. "Well, Steven, we don't actually celebrate birthdays"

Steven let out a heavy gasp, looking horrified. "Why not?!"

"Technically speaking, we were never born" Peridot said. "At least not in the same manner that humans are. We just…. started existing. Birthdays are simply not something we need to concern ourselves with"

"Well I can't just ignore such this travesty of unjustice" Steven said, his voice ringing with righteousness. He turned his back to the Crystal Gems and raised his hand in a pose, for one no in particular. "I pledge that you will have your birthdays, with all the candy, cake, and ice cream you've been denied"

Steven held that stance for another few moments after making his declaration, long after the dramatic effect had worn off, if it had even been there in the first place. Not feeling the least bit embarrassed, Steven turned back to the Crystal Gems and together they began to make their way out of the temple. However, they soon stopped when they noticed that Jasper hadn't moved. She remained rooted on the spot, her arms still folded together, looking tall and intimidating as always, aside from the fact her entire body was trembling involuntarily.

"Jasper, are you feeling ok?" Steven asked, hesitantly.

"Yeah, never better" she said, sounding every bit to the contrary, her face crunched up in focus.

"You're not feeling sick, are you?"

"….No" she grunted, suppressing another tremor in her shoulders.

"Uh, ok then" Steven said, putting on a convincing smile. "Well, we're just gonna go set up some stuff for the party and everything and leave you here. All by yourself, where anything can happen without us watching and we'll totally believe anything you tell us later"

"Whatever" Jasper replied, barely even audible.

Steven quickly ushered Peridot and Lapis away, leaving Jasper alone just as he said he would. Jasper waited for another few seconds, making absolutely sure they were gone, before finally throwing her pride to wind and dropping down to her knees in a helpless manner, where she promptly returned the burrito, or at least something that may have resembled a burrito, back into the ground from where they had found it.

* * *

Sometime later, everyone had gathered outside on the beach in front of the temple. Steven had been true to his word and threw the Crystal Gems his idea of a lavish birthday celebration. Two sets of tables had been set up on the smooth surface of the sand, food and drinks spread out over the length both tables, along with a large a hastily made birthday cake, the top of which was literally covered in as many candles as possible, to the point you couldn't even see the cake underneath; Balloons, streamers, party hats and all the other assorted decorations were strewed across the tables.

On the beach was a large arm chair, acting in place of a real throne and was occupied by Jasper, who was wearing an ostentatious red cape over her shoulders. Peridot and Lapis were seated in front of the throne on two smaller folding chairs and Steven was sitting on top of the throne, directly above Jasper's head, holding up a large crown.

"And the birthday queen is, Jasper!" Steven said, setting the crown on her head. "I hope you like it, Dad made me this outfit and it brings me special birthday luck every year."

Jasper took a measured glance up at the crown on her and the cape on her shoulders and allowed herself a satisfied smirk. Putting her arms behind her head, she leaned back in her throne and threw her right leg up on the arm rest, making herself comfortable.

"Oh yeah, this definitely feels right" she said, sounding more than content with her with newfound circumstance.

"Yay!" Lapis said cheerfully, clapping her hands lightly. Peridot, on the hand, looked anything but cheerful.

"Ugh. As if Jasper needed more of an excuse to act high and mighty" she said, scowling with displeasure. "I still fail to grasp the practical benefit of this ritual, Steven. I mean, look at this". She picked up one of the nearby balloons; on its surface was a crudely drawn face in Peridot's own likeness.

"I can understand self-adoration, but this depiction doesn't resemble me at all. Where is my nose?"

Peridot yelped as the tip of something sharp and pointy hit her directly in the face. She glared at Jasper, who grinned in amusement as she began launching the party hats at her using the elastic bands as a slingshot. Peridot was about to return fire with her own party hat, until Steven pulled it out of her hands.

"Hey, those go on your head" he said, placing the hat back on Peridot's head. He then approached Jasper on her throne and took a knee before, his hands folded behind his back.

"And now I present to you, thee honourable baseball bat!"

Steven held up a wooden baseball bat that had a pink ribbon wrapped around the top and offered it to Jasper. Intrigued, Jasper took the bat from him and balanced it on the palm of her hand. She gripped the helm of the bat and performed a few practice swings with it, before she seemed happy with it.

"Now this is what I call a party" she said, before turning to Peridot with a fiendish gleam in her eyes.

"Jasper, you don't dare!" Peridot quickly got up from the chair in a panic as Jasper advanced on her, bat in hand before Steven quickly stepped in between them.

"No. It's for the piñata" he chided, wagging a disapproving finger at Jasper. "Down"

Jasper lowered the bat and muttered something that may have been an insincere apology. She remained silent as Steven tied the nesscessary blindfold over her eyes. Once the blindfold was in place, Steven picked up a stick with a colourful horse-shaped piñata attached to the end of a string.

"The piñata is an artefact from ancient Aqua Mexico" he said. He was about to follow up with another historical inaccuracy when Jasper let out a loud battle cry, swinging the baseball bat down in a vertical slash like a sword, smashing into a patch of sand next to Steven, creating a small crater upon impact.

Seeing Jasper about to get ready for another swing, Steven screamed, terrified as he realized the literal life and death situation he was now in. Reacting fast, he ran over to Peridot and thrust the stick into her hands. Peridot briefly eyed the stick for a moment with some surprise, but she soon found herself letting out a scream of her own when she saw the blindfolded Jasper coming charging toward her, swinging the bat wildly.

She ducked her head down, narrowly missing the decapitating swing of Jasper's arm. Peridot then broke into run and circled around the beach several times with Jasper giving chase; despite her lack of vision, she was able to track Peridot movement's perfectly, as she needed to do was to follow the sound of her relentless screaming. And throughout the whole case, Peridot continued carrying the piñata stick, the tiny horse flapping in the wind behind her as she ran.

Watching from the side-lines, Lapis laughed humorously at the antics of her fellow Crystal Gems, but after seeing the concerned look on Steven's face, she soon decided to intervene.

Forming her water wings, Lapis stretched them out over to Peridot and pulled the stick out of her hands. Keeping herself at a safe distance, Lapis used her wings to hold the stick up in front of Jasper, who stopped when she could no longer hear Peridot's screams. Lifting up the blindfold to see the piñata dangling in front of her, Jasper swung the bat hard and hit the piñata dead on, creating a mini sonic boom that send it flying into the direction of the ocean.

They watched the piñata sail through the sky, before landing out into the water, the splash of the impact just barely within their line of sight. There was a short moment of silence as they boom of Jasper's strike faded.

"Bored now" she said, tossing the bat over her shoulder with a casual flick of her wrist. "What's next?" she asked Steven.

"Well, you were supposed to eat the candy that fell out" he replied.

"You put candy in that thing?" Jasper said, glancing out over the water. "Great, now it's all the way at the bottom of the ocean. Way to go, Steven"

"Don't worry" Steven said, unfazed by her harshness. "They'll be even more delicious treats at Peridot's party"

* * *

The party had moved from the beach to the base of the cliff behind the Temple, just below the lighthouse. Together the Crystal Gems sat a on a small picnic blanket that just barely had enough room for all three them. Lapis was sitting on the left, smiling pleasantly, wearing one of the party hats. Jasper was sitting slouched on the right side, idly chewing away at the end of a party horn in her mouth. Peridot was situated between the two of them, now wearing the birthday crown on her head and the ceremonial cape wrapped snuggly over her shoulders.

"Hmm, I must admit. This cape feels…. impowering. Ooooh". Peridot giggled mischievously to herself, wiggling around inside the cape. All three of them looked up as Steven appeared before them.

"Happy Birthday! Honk!"

Instead of his usual pink shirt and blue jeans, Steven was now wearing an oversized vest that was baggy enough to expose his gem, along with a pair of sandals much too big for his feet. He was also wearing a bright rainbow coloured wig over his normal black hair, a red rubber clown nose on his face and white clown make up.

"Steven, you look…different" Lapis said slowly, taking in his new attire.

"Those are rather odd choices of appearance modifiers" Peridot said, unable to see any particular rationale for Steven's change in wardrobe.

"No, it's funny, see?" he said.

"Steven, you know we would never be as shallow as to mock you for your appearance" Peridot said gently.

"No, I'msupposed to look funny, so you'll laugh" Steven said.

"So…. you're encouraging us to mock you for your appearance?" Peridot replied. Even as she said, it was clear she was struggling to grasp the meaning behind such a paradoxical concept.

Steven hesitated at Peridot's question and tethered on the verge of trying to explain himself. "Oh geez, I'm breaking character. Wait, wait, wait. I wrote some jokes"

He pulled out a large and disorganised stack of papers from the back pocket of his pants. Steven then began to read a line off the first page.

"Why did Peridot throw butter out the window?" he asked. "To see a butter fly!"

Peridot gasped, stunned by what Steven had said. "That is a baseless accusation!" she cried indignantly. "I wouldn't just throw some butter in the air to see if it could fly. What a preposterous statement"

"Didn't you once knock a human off a roof to see if he could fly?" Lapis said, wryly.

Peridot glared dangerously at Lapis and was on the verge of arguing back when Steven interrupted them again.

"No, wait, I know" he said quickly. "Peridot, do you like pie?"

"Not particularly" she replied, with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"I like pie" Jasper said, raising her hand.

"The question was directed to me, Jasper!" Peridot snapped at her.

"Well then, you're in luck" Steven said, reaching into a nearby weaver basket and pulling something out. "I baked you a pie".

"Oh, why thank you Steven" Peridot said, sincerely touched by his gesture. "That was very thoughtful of you. I mean, irrelevant in fact that I don't need to eat, but thoughtful none the less"

"I sure hope nothing happens to it!" Steven said, as he began walking toward her, pie in hand.

"Well, yes, that would be the preferably outcome"

"Whoops!" Steven slipped on his oversized sandal and fell forward to the ground, the pie directly under his face, but before Steven made contact with it, Peridot got up her from where she had been sitting and caught him with her tractor beam, suspending both him and the pie in mid-air.

"Careful Steven, you almost fell" Peridot said, setting him back on his feet and dispersing her tractor beam. "That would have been a most unfortune turn of events. At that angle of descent, you would most certainly have landed directly on the-"

Without giving her a chance to finish, Steven smashed the pie up into his face, causing Peridot to jump back from him in fright.

"See, Peridot?" Steven said, chuckling, his entire face now smeared in a bizarre mixture of pie cream and clown make up. "It's funny!"

Peridot said nothing while Steven continued to laugh, staring at him like he was some kind of dangerous animal, her eyes alight with fear. She slowly backed away from Steven and reconvened with Jasper and Lapis who were still standing by the picnic blanket.

"Do not be alarmed" she said in hushed whisper. "But I have reason to believe Steven has lost his mind and is suffering from some kind of spontaneous case of erratic insanity! I suggest we sedate him and bring him back to the Temple for re-conditioning. Lapis, you distract him. Jasper, you come from behind and restrain him. I'll administer a small electrical discharge to render him unconscious. Brace yourself, he may get violent, but we do this because we love him"

Peridot activated a small current of electricity on the tip of her metal finger, struggling to keep her hand steady as she began to choke up with emotion, tears already forming her eyes.

Lapis and Jasper shared the briefest of glances with each other, the both of them thinking the exact same thing and looking back at the now weeping Peridot with identical deadpan expressions, clearly not sharing the same level of concern as her. Jasper then called out to Steven.

"Steven, Peridot says she's all partied out and wants to go home"

"Oh, this isn't going anything like it should" Steven said, taking off his wig; his curly black hair remained flat for a brief second, then popped itself back into its normal shape. Despite his best attempt to remain optimistic, he was beginning to grow increasingly disappointed by the lukewarm reception he was receiving. "I've got to pull out the ultimate birthday."

* * *

"Okay, there's no way you're not gonna love this!" Steven had now taken the Gems to the parking lot behind the Big Donut, where he had prepared his secret birthday weapon; three miniature toy cars, each one big enough for a small toddler to ride in.

"It's kazoo racers!" he said, holding up a blue coloured kazoo. He played the tip of the kazoo in his mouth and hummed into it, producing a buzzing, whistling sound. "You get in a car, you play a kazoo. What more could you want? Dad used to do this for me every year"

Steven pulled out three more kazoos, one for each of the Crystal Gems and eagerly waited for them to take them. Unfortunately, it looked as though the Gems enthusiasm for birthdays had just about worn out; Jasper was scowling, appearing irritated, while Peridot was huddled behind her, timorously peaking at Steven from behind her arm.

The only one who looked excited was Lapis, now taking her turn to don the king costume. She happily accepted one of the kazoos from Steven and hummed into, giggling at the noise it made. Steven return the gesture by humming on his own kazoo. Then in unison, they both took a deep breath and hummed into their kazoos together for an excessively long moment, creating a harmonic buzz that rang throughout the air, much to the growing chagrin of Jasper and Peridot.

"See, that's half the fun already" Steven said, excitedly. "Now, you can get in one of the cars"

"Okay" Lapis said. "But why are the cars so small?"

Steven's smiled faltered for a moment. "They're not too small. Give it a try"

Lapis did as Steven asked and approached one of the cars, but she found herself uncertain of how to proceed. She gingerly placed one foot inside the car and arched her back down to grab hold of the steering wheel to steady herself. She then tried to stick her other foot inside the car, and for a moment she was literally standing inside it, as though it was some oversized, singular rollerblade. Steven began to grow more and more put off watching the difficulty that Lapis was having with getting into the car and tried to help her get into a comfortable position, without much success.

"I told you he's gone insane" Peridot whispered to Jasper, gripping her thick forearm. "He can't even tell the difference in proportions anymore. These birthday rituals are a gateway to madness!"

Jasper groaned heavily in exasperation. Shaking Peridot off her arm, she walked over to Steven and got down on one knee in front of him.

"Uh, Steven, thanks for all the birthday stuff, but do you think maybe we should call it a day?" she asked, somehow sounding both patience, yet blunt at the same time.

"We can't stop now" Steven said, frowning. "We still have thousands of birthdays worth of parting left to do!". Steven put his kazoo to his lips and began to play another tune but was abruptly silenced when Jasper grabbed the other end of the kazoo between her thumb and index finger, muffling the buzzing. Not saying a single word and with cold, clinical precision, she squeezed the end of the kazoo, crushing it with ease and ensuring it was ruined beyond use. She then pulled the kazoo Steven's mouth with a slight pop and tossed over her shoulder.

"No, Steven" she said, unamused. "We don't need birthdays, because we don't age. Our bodies are always gonna stay exactly they should be. This is just pointless. Also, Peridot thinks you're going crazy, which is starting to drive me crazy"

Steven turned to Peridot, who flinched uncomfortably at his gaze even though there was no real accusation in his eyes.

"My concern, Steven" she said, as placatively as she could. "Is that we may not in fact be properly adjusted enough to Earth lifestyle in order for us to enjoy these…birthday celebrations"

"How could anyone not enjoy this?" Steven asked, in joyous disbelief, almost as if he thought Peridot was joking. Peridot groaned heavily, looking and feeling incredibly guilty.

"Steven, we appreciate the effort you put into this, but based on all my observations, these activities that you've asked us to take part in, well, they seem to be better suited...… for human children"

"Children?" Steven said, still with that same sense of happy disbelief. "Everyone gets to have birthdays. Seriously, give it a try. You're never too old."

"The problem isn't that we're too old, it's that we're too big" Peridot continued. "It's mathematically impossible for any of us to successfully operate these miniaturised weight couriers"

"Yeah, I mean, I'd be up for a race" Jasper said. "But these cars are kinda tiny. Plus, they look really feeble". Jasper prodded one of the toy cars with her foot and flipped it over on its back, one of its wheels spinning idly.

"You're not too big" Steven said, frowning. To demonstrate his point, Steven stepped into one of the cars and held the steering wheel. "You just get in and-". Steven cut himself off when he noticed that something about the car wasn't quite right. Much to his own surprise, now that he was in the car himself, Steven realized that the car was far too small to ride in. Or rather, he realized he was far to big to ride in it.

"No, wait, I think I got it!" Lapis had finally seemed to gain a comfortable position inside her car. She was squatting in the seat, her legs bent and knees jutting outward at opposite angles. A moment later, she titled at an angle and then fell flat on her side, along with the tiny car. After remaining in that position for a long moment, Lapis stood up and out of the car.

"I'm sorry Steven, but I guess I can't fit" she said, with an apologetic look. Steven looked back and forth between Lapis, the cars and his own hands, a terrible truth beginning to wash over him.

"What if birthdays are for little kids? What even I'm too old?" There was a prolonged moment of silence as Steven's statement sunk in. There was an obvious shift in the atmosphere and for some reason, the world appeared a lot less brighter now than it did a few minutes ago

"Steve…..you're not upset, are you?" Peridot asked, hesitantly

Steven didn't answer her. Instead, he stepped out of the tiny car, and put his hands inside his pockets, stared down at the ground. When he spoke, his words were distant and melancholy

"Kazoo racers just seems undignified". Without any other acknowledgement, Steven simply walked away, leaving the parking lot and heading into town. The Crystal Gems watched him as he went, with a mixture of concern regarding his current state of mind.

"Should we-?" Lapis began.

"No" Jasper said firmly, raising her hand to silence Lapis. "Let's just give him some space"

* * *

Now alone, Steven trudged down the empty board walk, hands in his pockets and head lowered, his mind filled with thoughts of disappointment, regret and frustration.

"I never realized birthdays meant leaving things behind" he said. "All these parties, ugh, so embarrassing". Dejected, Steven continued walking forward, oblivious to the encompassing mist as he entered it. From within the shrouded mist, a faint, pink glow briefly appeared, silhouetting the outline of a small figure and then disappeared just as quickly.

Out on the other side of the mist came a greasy faced teenager, wearing a pink shirt and blue shorts far too small for his slightly robust physique, a bushel of thick curly black hair. The teen stopped outside of the arcade, observing Onion playing a game a game of skid ball.

"Oh Onion, so young, so innocent" he said, his voice cracking awkwardly. The teenager turned away just as Onion had finished prying open the ticket booth for the game, and spotted a familiar looking video game in the corner of the arcade

"Whacker Man Jr.!". The teenager momentarily appeared interested, but then glanced around the arcade in a self-conscious manner. "Ooh, I can't be seen playing a childish game like Whacker Man Jr. I better stick to sophisticated games, like regular Whacker Man."

The teenager turned to the aforementioned Whacker Man, which was situated right next to its younger counterpart. The teen placed a quarter into the game and half hearted began to whack the stuffed gangster heads that popped out of the holes. After a while, he left the arcade again, continuing down the boardwalk, which was still shrouded in mist.

"That was fun, but a boy on the cusp of manhood can't spend the whole day whackering. I need to take control of my life.". The teen stopped again, this time outside of a t-shirt store.

The door of the shop opened and closed; a tall, broad-shouldered man with a black curly hair and partial stubble entered. He was wearing an extremely tight looking shirt and blue shorts that showed off his hairy legs.

"It's time, to get a proper job" he said, his voice strong and sure, with a resolute sense of purpose. He ran his eyes over the different shirts on display. "But which one? Surf Master? No. Love Doctor? I'm too squeamish. Ah, now this is the job for me."

The tall man exited the shop, having purchased a pink coloured shirt that he felt best described his ideal job; Professional Beach Hunk.

"Ha, this day went so fast" he said. "I need a pick-me-up". The man now made his way up the boardwalk, heading toward the Big Donut on the hilltop.

Inside the Big Donut, Lars and Sadie were busy re-stocking the glass shelves behind the counter with donuts. They heard the bell ring as the door opened but didn't turn around to see who had entered, assuming that it was just a normal customer. In this case, it was a balding, middle-aged and overweight man in a pink shirt.

"Two of the usual please, I've had quite a day" he said, sounding tried and world weary, approaching the counter.

"Ha, you must be confused pal" Lars said, turning around to lean on the counter top. "I work here every day and I've never seen your mug before"

"Oh, hardy har, Lars" the man replied, with embitter sarcasm.

Sadie turned around from the shelf, looking just as surprised as Lars that the balding man knew him by name. They listened as he began to start ranting.

"I used to make jokes, but you know what? I've had a lot of time to think today and sometimes you gotta smarten up, act like an adult. Because one day, if you don't, everyone you know is gonna grow up without you. And then you won't have little Steven to pick on anymore because I'll be a grown up too"

"Steven…who?" Sadie said, slowly, with a delicate sense of caution.

The balding man appeared taken back by the question. "Steven Quartz Universe!" he exclaimed, impatiently. "And I want that doughnut, right there!"

He bent down to the display and rapped his finger against the glass, but then jumped back with a gasp, as though he had been scared by his own reflection.

"Sir are you okay?" Sadie asked, now sounding concerned, fearful that something may be truly wrong with this strange man.

"I'm OLD!" the man screamed in horror

"Yeah, and nuts!" Lars added, becoming increasing freaked out by the balding man's behaviour.

The balding man put his hands to his cheek, tears beginning to swell up in his eyes. "I'm going to have to eat fibre cereal, all my teeth are gonna fall out, and then, I'll have to eat oatmeal and it'll be sugar-free! Sugar-free!"

The man collapsed into the nearest chair and buried his face into his hands, sobbing loudly. Sadie moved over to the man and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, while Lars remained behind the counter, wanting to keep as much distance as possible between him and the stranger.

"I need to reverse this!" the man cried. "I need, a…reverse birthday". The man lifted his face up, struck by some realization. "The king costume!"

He turned to Lars and Sadie and spoke with utmost earnest. "Will you help me into my birthday suit?

Whatever sympathy that Lars and, more importantly Sadie, had for this strange, rambling old man, had just official gone out the window. And a moment later, the balding man went straight out the door, being chased away by Sadie, now brandishing a chair at him.

"Yeah, you better run!"

The balding man ran from the Donut shop and down onto beach, running and running until his back gave out on him and he collapsed onto the sand, unable to move or get back up again. He lay there helpless, as the mist rolled in over the beach. After what might have been years, another figure, one on four legs walked out from within the grey haze.

Lion raised his snot into the air and sniffed at something, picking up traces of a familiar scent. He came upon something big and heavy on the sand; a grey bearded man, too old and weak to even stand up. The old man looked up at Lion, who looked back down at him impassively. Lion lowered his head and lightly licked the elderly man's cheek, as an affectionate as a dog with his master. Lion then picked the old man up in his mouth, careful not to harm him and sprinted off into the mist, in the direction of the Temple.

* * *

Back at the beach, the Crystal Gems were clearing away the last of the birthday decorations. Lapis was using her hydrokinesis to gather up the remaining balloons and other leftover decorations, surrounding them in individual orbs of water, levitating the orbs up into the air and then merging them together in one giant bubble.

Jasper, now wearing the king costume, was picking up the tables and chairs, stacking them up on one shoulder.

Peridot was the only one not contributing to the clean-up, too busy reading over a small book, her eyes glued to the pages with intensity.

"What are you doing with that?" Jasper said, sounding reluctant to even ask.

"I was hoping to gain a bit of insight from this whole birthday experience" Peridot replied. "After witnessing Steven's clown display, I've elected to learn more about the Earth humour"

"Didn't you say that birthdays were a gateway into madness?"

"…Yes" Peridot admitted, begrudgingly. "But that is not the point. Steven did seem somewhat upset that we weren't able to properly reciprocate his feelings toward his birthday celebrations. So, I thought, in an effort to make Steven feel a little better, I could try and learn more about what humans consider to be funny."

Jasper continued giving her a sceptical look. Peridot sighed impatiently

"Look, I want to at least try and understand it, ok?"

"Ok, ok" Jasper said, nodding quickly and turning away from Peridot, bending down to pick up another table and tossing onto the growing stack on her shoulder.

Peridot continued flipping through the joke book until she stopped on a certain page that caught her attention. Reading over the page a number of times, she glanced back and forth between Jasper and the book, the basis of an intriguing experimentation forming in her mind.

"Hey, Jasper" she said.

"What?" Jasper replied.

"What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator!" Peridot paused for a moment, waiting to see Jasper's reaction.

Jasper blinked once, looking just as stoic and unflinching as ever, not so much as cracking a sniffle.

"Hmm. I read it exactly as the text descripted" Peridot said, unperturbed, glancing down at the book again. "It would seem that delivery is a crucial element to the joke. Then again, I'd imagine the subtilities of such a transaction would easily go over your head"

"I got a joke" Jasper said.

"You do?" Peridot said, now curious.

"Catch".

Before Peridot could ask what she meant by this, Jasper held the stack of tables she had gathered up directly over her head and dropped them right on top of her. She chuckled snidely to herself as Peridot struggled to get up, while muttering her own preference of profanity.

"Dirty…muddy….stinking clod!"

Jasper continued to laugh as Peridot struggled to pull herself out free from under the tables. Lapis walked up beside her, one hand raised up in the direction of the floating body of water, keeping in its place. Her eyes settled on the cape Jasper was wearing.

"You know you don't need to wear that anymore, right?" she said.

"I like it" Jasper replied, rubbing the fabric of the cape between two of her fingers. "Looked better on me anyway"

"Oh hey, look, Lion's back" Lapis said, seeing the pink coloured feline approaching them in the distance.

"Is Steven with him?" Peridot asked, getting back to her feet and brushing away some of the sand.

Lion stopped in front of Lapis and from his mouth, he dropped the husk of an elderly man in a pink shirt down at her feet. Lapis bent over slightly to examine the stranger with an indifferent, yet somewhat curious expression.

"No, it's just some really, really old man wearing Steven's clothes" she answered back.

Surprised, Peridot and Jasper moved over to the old man who was lying sprawled out on the sand. Jasper bent down and turned him over, revealing his wrinkled and bearded face. And on his exposed belly, underneath the words Professional Beach Hunk, and between the tangled folds of grey hair, was a pink coloured gemstone in the place of the man's naval.

The Crystal Gems recoiled from the old man in shock the moment they saw this gemstone, knowing all too well what it was and who it belonged to. There was the sound of a loud pop, as the orb of water burst open, splashing onto the sand.

"Oh, my stars!" Peridot cried out in horror. "That is Steven!"

"What's happened to him?" Lapis said, getting down her knees and propping Steven's head up on her lap, now looking worried sick for his wellbeing.

Peridot fired a transparent beam out from her hand, scanning Steven's body. The results of the scan appeared on her finger-screen in the form of text that Peridot began to read it off.

"Heart rate failing. Decrease in oxygen levels. Muscles atrophying. An overwhelming odour of prunes and cats? He's aging. He's aging years in a matter of seconds"

"B-but, gems can't die from aging" Lapis said, panic slowly overwhelming her.

"But Steven's half human" Jasper pointed out. Even as she stated the fact, it made her no less terrified.

"Well, what do we do? How do we fix this?!" Lapis said, her voice rising higher and higher as her fear was already getting the best of her.

"My birthday….suit… might help" Steven said, sounding weak and raspy.

Upon hearing this, Lapis' eyes snapped onto Jasper, gazing at her the way a hawk would gaze at a field mouse. Before Jasper could get a word out, Lapis lunged at her, and practically ripped the cape and crown off her body in a shameless manner. Lapis quickly placed the crown on Steven's head and draped the cape of his shoulders, letting him curl up on the sand next to Lion.

"Thanks guys" he said. "But it looks like this suit's all out of birthday magic"

The Crystal Gems gazed down in grim silence at what was surely the soon-to-dead boy that they loved more than anything, feeling despair and hopelessness the likes of which they hadn't felt for thousands of years.

"More birthdays! NOW!" Jasper shouted, grabbing both Lapis and Peridot by the neck and pulled to them aside away from Steven, who looked to have already accepted his impending fate.

"Hey, Steven, look!"

Steven cracked his eyes open to see Lapis, standing with her arms spread out to the side in a pose that resembled a magician or performers lovely assistant, presenting an oversized Jasper riding around in one of the tiny cars Steven had prepared for them earlier.

"Steven, I'm in a tiny car!" Jasper said, with a nervous smile. "And I got a kazoo. What more can you ask for, right?"

Jasper placed the kazoo between her lips and blew on it loudly, as she rode around in a circle, making a rather flat sounding buzz. A moment later, the tiny car gave way under Jasper's weight, breaking into a hundred pieces

"Kids….stuff…" Steven said, wheezing and sounding weaker by the second, like a balloon being drained of air. His gem lit up again; his beard and hair grew out another few inches, his face becoming even more wrinkled and lifeless than before.

Becoming desperate, Lapis glanced around the beach for anything that may be of use, until her eyes settled on the horizon of the vast ocean. Getting an idea, Lapis sprouted her water wings and flew off into the distance, disappearing into the water with an echoing splash. After a few moments, she emerged from the water and retuned to the beach, now holding something in her hands.

"Piñata!"

Lapis smiled and presented Steven with the same piñata Jasper had knocked into the ocean hours ago, but it was now nothing but soggy clump of paste that barely even resembled what it once was, covered in seaweed and moss. She shook the piñata in front of Steven, making it d a little dance in an effort to raise his spirits. The head of the piñata snapped off and fell to the sand. The rest of the piñata soon crumbled out of Lapis hands into a pile of slimly mush on the sand, along with all her hopes.

Seeing this, Steven groaned again, gaining another foot of his beard.

"Nothing's working!" Lapis said, her terrible sense of panic returning. She turned to Jasper, her eyes practically begging her to have an answer, a solution of any kind, but Jasper looked to be just as lost and confused, having no idea what to do. Suddenly they heard Peridot's voice behind them.

"Wait, wait, I got it. I can save the day!"

Jasper and Lapis made way for the Peridot. Given the circumstance, neither of them had the chance to question her on her bizarre change of appearance; she was wearing the same baggy shirt and shorts that Steven had worn earlier, along with the same rainbow coloured wig sitting crooked on her diamond shaped head of hair, sloppily applied white face paint and a red clown nose over her own.

"Hello Steven!" she said cheerfully, wearing what may have been, the biggest and happiest smile she had ever worn up until this point in her existence as she approached him. "Are you ready to laugh? Haha! See, it's funny because that's a rhetorical question! Honk!"

Peridot laughed again and honked her red nose twice. Steven did not return the laugh. Instead, he just moaned in agony, growing even older and more decrepit with each passing exchange. Despite seeing Steven's condition growing steadily worse, Peridot remained unperturbed, continuing to smile confidently. She pulled her joke book she had been reading earlier and opened it on a specific page, clearing her throat.

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" she said. There was a pause before she continued. "The chicken wanted to get to the other side of the road". Peridot threw her head back and let out a boisterous laugh. She looked back down at Steven with anticipation.

Again, Steven did not laugh. He merely continued to gasp weakly for air, rapidly losing the strength to even keep breathing at this point. Peridot's face strained itself, frozen in a smile, her left eye beginning to twitch slightly. She dropped the joke book and swiftly fired her tractor beam off in a random direction, pulling over a small pie.

"Look, I have a delicious pie!" she said, holding the pie in both hand. "I sincerely hope nothing happens to it"

There was another pause as Peridot allowed her statement sink in, before she slapped the pie into her face, smothering herself in the whipped cream. Pulling the lid away, she smiled down at Steven, waiting to see him return to normal at any moment, having full confidence that her well timed and stimulating humour would be fully effective.

Steven let out one mighty gasp of breath and then aged into what most certainly had to be the body of a man who had lived for over a hundred years. He finally stopped moaning, going incredibly quiet and still. His breath slowed to a crawl and appeared to have fallen into a peaceful sleep; the kind of sleep that one does not wake up from.

This proved to be the breaking point for Peridot; the perpetual smile she had been wearing finally faded, and her face dropped into a huge frown. Her eyes went as wide as saucers and her lower lip began to quiver uncontrollably as she let out a low, penetrating, whining sound from her mouth. The sound gradually continued to build, until finally, the dam ruptured, and Peridot let out a heart wrenching wail of despair that must have been heard for miles. Trembling, she dropped to her knees in front of Steven, clutching either side of her pie covered face, pulling at her hair and green skin; if her skin wasn't made of solid light she likely would have ripped it clean off. She looked to be on the brink of pure madness, her terrifying screams echoing throughout the night.

Behind her, Jasper and Lapis gaped at Peridot in disbelief as she continued to wail up towards the sky, the both of them too dumbfounded to say anything. Shaking with fury, Jasper smacked her hand to her forehead, wishing more than anything she had something to break.

"Are you trying to kill him even faster!?" she yelled at Peridot.

Peridot gave no response but to just keep crying, tears streaming down her face, mixing with the pie cream in a truly pitiful display. She then got to her feet and ran over to Jasper, taking her by surprise by throwing her arms around her neck.

"Steven!" she sobbed, pulling Jasper's face into her chest. "Not my baby! NOOOO!"

"Peridot, get off me!" Jasper snapped, struggling to get hold of the hysterical Peridot, who started to babble incoherently.

Lapis watched silently as Jasper tried to restrain Peridot as she clambered over her shoulders, flailing around in a ridiculous fashion and then set her eyes back on Steven. Taking a deep breath, she walked to over to him and kneeled down on the sand next to him, propping his head under her hands.

Jasper and Peridot ceased their fighting when they saw that Lapis was now holding Steven, cradling him in her arms. They had no idea what to expect next, yet they were hoping against all odds that Lapis was about to pull of some kind of miracle that would save Steven.

Lapis gently placed her cool hand on Steven's cheek. He opened his eyes less than an inch to see her looking down at him. Then, in a blinding motion, Lapis pulled her hand back and slapped Steven across the face as hard as she could. Then she struck with him with her back hand, and then with another swing of her forehand. Again, and again she slapped Steven, who didn't appear to even feel her blows, his face helplessly flopping to either side with each slap like a wade of putty. Lapis quicken the pace of her slaps, her eyes now lit with a kind of mad, desperate fury, breathing sharply with each blow, hoping it would inevitably do something for Steven.

It took a good few seconds for Jasper and Peridot actually register what they were seeing, until finally they jumped back from one another in shock, screaming out in unison. "LAPIS, NO!"

Rushing over to her, they each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her off Steven, before she could hit him again. Emotions and panic getting the best of them, the Crystal Gems quickly broke down into senseless argument. Though he could hear nothing but his own heartbeat pounding on his ears, Steven opened his eyes again to see the Gems fighting amongst themselves.

Jasper was furiously berating Lapis for her actions, venting her own frustration. Lapis was yelling back at her, and then started grabbing fistfuls of her own blue hair, appearing incredibly distressed, perhaps even on the verge of a breakdown. Peridot looked as though she was ready to start crying again, whimpering again and burying her face in her hands.

Steven watched as they all continued to fight, acting like a bunch of hysterical children. How could beings that were thousands of years old act in such a way? The mere idea of it was making Steven feel more irritated than he had felt all day.

"Would you guys, just please-". Steven's gem began to glow once more, and he suddenly found the strength to stand on his feet again.

"Control yourselves?!" he snapped, his voice now full of energy and confidence. The Gems instantly stopped fighting and turned their eyes onto Steven, seeing him now standing upright in the body of a fully-grown man. His beard had receded, leaving behind only a slight stubble on his chin. The colour of his hair had also returned to black.

Realizing their attention was now him, Steven appeared to lose the nerve he had just gain, looking frightened. His gem activated again, and his body changed into that of a greasy faced teenager.

"Ugh, oh no. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled" he said, his voice now cracking and awkward sounding. Steven's gem glowed for a third time and he returned to the form of an adult man. "But I can't stand to see you freaking out like this"

"Steven, you're changing" Jasper whispered,

"Your age is fluctuating according to your state of mind" Peridot said.

"Steven, you just have to stop feeling old!" Lapis said.

"But I wasted your time. We all have such little time" he said weakly, turning back into an old man, his grey beard sprouting out from his face.

"Steven, quick, think of yourself as a baby" Peridot said. "Small, incoherent and in need of constant supervision"

"A baby?" he said. This suggestion appeared to work, as Steven began to age in reversal again, turning younger and his beard receding again. But instead of stopping at his natural age, he continued to grow younger until his head and face shrank down to the size of a baby.

"Too young!" the Crystal Gems cried together in unison.

Steven changed again, his head growing larger and his grey beard immediately returning.

"Too old!"

Back to a baby.

"Older!"

Old man.

"Younger!"

Steven flipped back and forth between old man and baby, the speed of his changes became faster and faster, his face becoming a living blur until he halted the breaks and stopped back at teenager.

"What do you want from me?" he cried, feeling misunderstood.

"We don't want anything from you Steven" Peridot said, her words filled with hurt and regret. "We just want you back. The way you've always been!"

"That's right" Lapis said, clasping her hands together, almost in a pray like fashion. "Sweet and kind, and compassionate. And always thinking of everyone else before yourself"

"Like your hero, Peridot!"

"You really think I'm all those things?" Steven said, touched by their praise.

"Of course we do!" Jasper insisted. "That's why you threw us those parties in the first place! Who else would go out of their way do to something nice for a bunch of ungrateful jerks like us?"

"Oh my gosh" Steven said in amazement. "You're right! I am pretty great!" And with one final glow of his gem, Steven returned himself back to normal.

The Gems didn't even give Steven a second to recuperate; Lapis and Peridot rushed over and embraced him in a tight hug. Jasper hung back, yet she allowed herself a brief sigh of relief, putting a hand over her chest, shaking slightly.

Lapis was the first to release Steven, but Peridot spent another full minute hugging Steven's head to her chest; he didn't protest this, despite the lack of oxygen he was getting. When she finally let him go, Steven winced slightly, feeling a sudden, stinging pain on either side of his face.

"How come my face is so sore?" he asked, rubbing one of his cheeks

"Mosquitoes!" Lapis answered at once, before Peridot or Jasper could say anything. "Really, really big mosquitoes"

Steven stared at Lapis who smiled back at him nervously, but then shrugged, accepting the answer. He then found himself pulled into another hug from Peridot, who was unable to restrain her joy at seeing him safe again.

"Oh, my stars, Steven!" she said, fighting back tears as she released him. "You're back! Exactly the way I love you. From the top of your head all the way down to the tip of your toooooooeeeeee…..naaaaval area!" Peridot grimaced with disgust, her eyes stopping down at Steven's feet.

Confused, Steven glanced downwards and saw that he was now several inches higher off the ground than usual. That, and the fact that his legs were now covered in hair. Apparently, he wasn't able to return the lower part of his body back to normal. Everything below his waistline appeared to remain that of an adult, making him look extremely disproportionate.

"We'll, uh, work on the rest later" Jasper said, while Steven began to dance a merry jig, deciding to make the most out of his hopefully, temporary legs.


	3. Coach Steven

A brilliant beam of light came down from the sky, seemingly out of the nowhere, and struck the circular Warp Pad, depositing Steven, Jasper, Lapis and Peridot onto its surface. The Crystal Gems stepped off the Warp Pad, with Steven taking up the rear.

They had arrived out in the middle of an empty desert, which must have been somewhere on the other side of the planet, as it had been day time when they left the Temple, yet here it was clearly the dead of night. Before them, in front of the Warp Pad, was a huge building, comprised of hundreds of circular, stone pillars stacked up together, forming a castle like structure, several stories tall. In the center of this structure was a beam of light, shooting upward into the sky.

"Whoa, what magical place of mystery is this?" Steven asked, gawking up at the structure in wonder.

Peridot stopped and turned around to face Steven with an irritated expression. "Steven, I distinctly remember explaining exactly what this place is and why we are here, before we left on the Warp Pad. Weren't you listening to me?"

"No" he replied, smiling back at her with sincere and heartfelt honesty. Peridot growled in annoyance; it was hard to be angry at someone with a face like that.

"Don't take it personally, Peridot" Jasper said, giving Peridot a firm pat on the shoulder as she walked past her. "None of us ever listen to you".

Peridot barred her teeth and hissed viciously behind Jasper's back. Steven ran past Peridot and moved closer to the huge structure, craning his neck upwards to try and see the top.

"You wanna get a closer look?" Lapis asked, walking up beside him.

"Yeah!" Steven replied, without hesitation. Smiling, Lapis picked Steven up onto her shoulders, sprouted her water wings and together flew upwards. They sailed through the air, circling around the tower, allowing Steven to take in the full view of it, much to his immense joy; the only thing he loved more than exploring new places, was flying with Lapis.

"This is a communication hub for that was once used by Gem-kind" Lapis said, flying up near the peak of the tower. "It was used send important messages to other places across possibly great distances"

"You mean like my phone, but really, really big?" Steven said, casually.

"Yeah" Lapis replied, nonchalant. "It's like a really big phone. It's been harmless for hundreds of years, but now it's starting to send out bursts of electromagnetic interference that's disrupting radio waves around the Earth"

"What's that mean?" Steven asked, as they descended back to the ground, dismounting from Lapis shoulders.

Peridot cleared her throat, bringing up the display on her finger-screen. "Well, you see, Steven, the electromagnetic spectrum is comprised of a variety of different frequencies, and in some cases an external source of electromagnetic energy can cause a disruption in the signal output of-"

"It's hurting television" Jasper said, cutting straight to the point, causing Peridot to scowl at her.

Steven gasped in horror and turned to face the communication hub with a fierce glare. "I'll save you television!"

With a mighty battle cry, Steven charged toward the nearest pillar and leapt up in the air, extending his leg out in a karate kick, before smacking his entire body onto the solid stone. After a moment, he slid off the pillar and landed flat on his back, the center of his face now bright red; the pillar appeared very much unscathed by Steven's attack.

"Slow down, killer" Jasper said, with an amused grin, picking Steven up by the collar and setting him back on his feet. Jasper moved closer to the hub and stood directly in front it, placing her hands on her hips as she ran her eyes up and down the hub, considering every angle of approach in her mind.

"This thing was built to be sturdy. We'd have to take down every single one of these pillars to make sure it's completely inoperable"

"It's too bad we're not anywhere near the ocean" Lapis said, looking out over the bone-dry desert. "If we had enough water, I might be able to tear it down"

"We could go back to the temple and carry some buckets of water from the ocean" Steven suggested. "It might take us a few trips, but we could make a game out of it to make it seem easier"

"Steven, you know we can't be playing childish games while on missions" Lapis said, closing her eyes and putting on a serious tone of voice. A moment later, she opened one eye and gave him a sly grin. "Besides, I'd definitely win"

"That sounds like a challenge" Steven said, with a competitive smirk.

Peridot cleared her throat once again and resumed speaking. "Sheer force isn't the only way to win battles. No matter how large or strong any structure is, it's weakness will also be its own weight. All we need to do is pinpoint and target the weakest structural points of the hub, hereby compromising it's load bearing capacity and forcing to collapse in upon itself"

She changed the display on her finger-screen to show what appeared to be a set of blueprints for the hub.

"Now, we'll start by each taking a separate quadrant of the hub. Lapis, you take the north quartet, Steven will take the east, and-"

"That is going to take us all day" Jasper said, without even turning around to acknowledge Peridot, keeping her eyes firmly on the hub. "What we need is something huge and strong to bring this thing down and I think I know exactly what"

"What do you mean?" Lapis asked, failing to see where Jasper was going with this.

Jasper finally turned away from the hub and looked directly at Lapis, with the faintest of grins. "What we need….is Malachite"

A deathly silence fell over the desert landscape, aside from a brief gust of wind. Lapis gaped at Jasper, looking as shock and horrified as though she had just suggested something akin to murder. Peridot grimaced painfully and covered her eyes with her free hand, bracing herself for an impending disaster. Steven glanced between the three Gems; he had no idea what was transpiring between them, but he could feel the intense shift in atmosphere and was troubled by it.

When Lapis finally recovered, her face hardened furiously. "Oh no" she said, shaking her head and raising up her hands in a gesture of utmost denial. "No, no, no, no, no. No way! We are not using Malachite"

"What's a Malachite?" Steven asked, confused.

"Malachite is the Gem fusion between Jasper and Lapis" Peridot explained

Steven inhaled so fast and so deeply, he might have been on the verge of suffocation, his eyes turning into white stars and his body trembling.

"A Gem fusion!?" he exclaimed so loudly and with so much excitement, his voice echoed throughout the desert. "That's awesome! I've never seen a Gem fusion before, except in Peridot's log tapes! Does this mean you guys are gonna dance and merge your bodies together to make a giant woman?"

"No. No giant woman" Lapis said at once, her voice cold and blunt. She turned to Jasper with an angry glare. "Because we are not fusing!"

Jasper sighed heavily and crossed her arms, having already expected this outcome. "Look, you know I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't nesscessary. Malachite is our best move from a tactical standpoint. We have to do this".

"Have to?" Lapis said, unconvinced and sounding close to disgusted. "Every time we form Malachite, it all goes horribly wrong. Every time!"

"Well how are we supposed to get better at this if we don't keep trying?" Jasper said impatiently. "And doesn't turn out bad every time"

"Actually, yes" Peridot said, matter-of-factly. "Based on my records, every single instance of you two becoming Malachite has resulted in wanton destruction and crippling emotional trauma for all parties involved"

Jasper ignored Peridot and walked right up to Lapis, standing opposite her. "Rose always encouraged us to work on improving our fusion and nothing is gonna change if we keep whining about it. When we form Malachite, we're capable of more than anything then when we're apart. Together, we're unstoppable"

Jasper placed her hand on Lapis shoulder, in a gesture that would suggest trust and comradery. Despite her insistence that this was something done out of necessity, there was an unmistakable yearning behind Jasper's words that suggested she wanted this for reasons beyond mere obligation.

This was not lost Lapis, who scornfully brushed Jasper's hand off her shoulder and rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner. "Oh, here we go! You just wanna to do this because you love being Malachite. You love how powerful we become. It's always the same thing with you"

Jasper dropped the diplomatic composure she had been keeping up and snarled furiously at Lapis. "Why do you always blame me?" she snapped. "You act like it's all my fault when things go wrong and then you get to play the sorry little victim. Well, guess what? It's half your fault. But not like your gonna admit that"

"You don't even admit when it's your fault" Lapis shot back accusingly, crossing her arms in defiance, meeting Jasper's furious gaze without the least bit of fear.

"I just said it was half my fault!" Jasper yelled throwing her arms up wide.

"No, you said it was half my fault"

"That literally means the other half is mine! It was IMPLIED!"

Peridot and Steven watched in silence as Jasper and Lapis argument continued to escalate. Steven looked visibly concerned by the abrupt hostility that had erupted between them. Peridot on the other hand, appeared bored and relatively un-surprised by this turn of events. With a tired sigh, she lazily fired her tractor beam at a nearby rock and pulled it over beside her, as well as pulling over a second, smaller rock next to that one. Peridot sat down on the bigger rock, resting her chin down on her hand with a dull expression, not expecting any of them to be going anywhere soon as Lapis and Jasper traded further barbs with each other. Unsure of what else to do, Steven took a seat on the smaller rock next to Peridot.

Lapis and Jasper argued for what felt an entire hour, more or less going around in circles with their grievances on the subject. Steven shifted uncomfortably from where he was sitting, fighting against an increasingly compelling urge to get himself involved between them. He glanced over to Peridot, hoping she might do something. Instead, she was yawning loudly and began to play a game of ping-pong on her finger-screen.

"The bottom line is that we to take down this hub and we need Malachite to do it" Jasper said. "Otherwise, we're gonna be here forever"

"That's fine!" Lapis said. "I don't care if I have to spend the next thousand years knocking down this hub. I'd rather do that than ever be Malachite again"

Jasper growled angrily, smacking her hand to her forehead in frustration. "Why do you have to be so stubborn about this? You just can't move on from the past, can you?"

"I'm the one who can't move on?!" Lapis roared, her wings sprouting out from her back. Panicking, Steven jumped up from his rock and quickly positioned himself between the two of them just as it looked like they were about to come to blows.

"STOP! Please, you guys shouldn't be fighting like this. We're all part of a team, remember?"

"Steven, you don't understand" Lapis said sadly. Her wings dissipated, and she seemed to calm herself. "Fusion between Gems can be dangerous"

"But I thought you guys said fusion was an important part of being a Gem?" Steven said, frowning.

"I-it is important, Steven" Lapis said hastily. "Fusion is-

"Fusion is a power that all Gems possess" Jasper interrupted curtly. "By syncing our bodies and minds together, we can merge forms with other Gems, combining our all our powers and strengths into one unbeatable Gem warrior"

Jasper punched her fist into her palm and again, spoke with a kind of relish in her words, not even trying to hide her enthusiasm about the prospect of becoming an 'unbeatable Gem warrior'. Steven was of the same mind, looking excited again, while Lapis glared at Jasper in disapproval.

"It's more complicated than that" she said. "Fusion is a way for two different Gems to come together to create something new, something entirely different than what they are as individuals. It's combination of everything that you are, what you think, you feel, you hope, you fear. The fusions that are created are an embodiment of the bond trust that exists between those Gems"

Lapis looked around the desert and spotted a cactus in the distance. Concentrating hard, she popped the cactus open and summoned the water that was hidden inside. She levitated the water above them and formed two distinctive shapes; one was of Lapis herself and another that resembled Rose

"In past, we used to fuse with your mother and it was great" Lapis said, smiling warmly. "We brought out the best in each other. Rose's self-confidence gave me the courage to express myself without fear

The Rose and Lapis figurines joined hands and spun in the air, merging together and becoming a single, tall, featureless, yet elegant looking figure.

"And Rose's compassion helped tempered Jasper's aggressive behaviour". Behind them, Jasper crossed her arms and scowled grumpily.

The figure separated back into two blobs of water that now took the shape of Rose and Jasper. The two figures locked hands, playing what looked to be an extremely competitive game of arm wrestling before they also joined together into a colossal behemoth that twice their size.

"But, when Jasper and I combine personalities" Lapis said, her expression turning grim again. "We get little…carried away"

The water reformed into two figures of Lapis and Jasper. They hesitantly joined hands and merge into one bubble, but this time, the shape of water began to violently ripple and contort, unable to hold itself together and then popped open much like water balloon, splashing down to the sand below.

"We haven't fused in long time" Lapis said, lowering her hands and hugging herself. "And no matter how hard we try, it never works out"

Steven stared down at the soaked patch of sand, his face blank. He looked back up to Lapis. "Well, why don't one of you just fuse with Peridot instead?" he suggested.

There was an abrupt thud from behind them; Turning around, they saw Peridot had fallen backwards off the rock she was sitting on. She quickly sat back, remaining behind the rock, almost as though she was cowering from something.

"Um, my fusions are not really suited for such a task" she said, in a very rapid manner. "They're more…. compact"

Lapis and Jasper shared a knowing look with each other, that went unnoticed by Steven as he turned back around to face them.

"Please!" he begged, clasping his hands together. "How can I ever learn about Gem fusion if you guys never show it to me?"

"Exactly" Jasper said at once. She dropped down to her knee and put her hand around Steven's shoulder.

"If Steven is going to be Crystal Gem, then he needs to learn about fusion and we're the only ones who can teach him" she said smoothly. "Think about how much he's missing out by not being able to see fusion first hand. Don't we owe it to Rose to teach him everything about being a Gem?"

Jasper gave Steven a nudge; he quickly put one a puppy dog expression, looking at Lapis with pleading eyes.

This seemed to have the affect Jasper was hoping for, as Lapis briefly appeared tempted to go along with her suggestion. But after a moment, her expression hardened once again, as she tuned her back on Steven and Jasper.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't" she said, gravely.

Jasper scowled again and abruptly broke away from Steven, marching off in the opposite direction as Lapis. Fist clenched, she glanced dangerously at Peridot, as though looking for some excuse to blame her for this turn of events. Peridot simply hide her face behind her screen.

Seeing what very likely would be his one and only chance to witness a Gem fusion come and go, Steven cast his eyes downwards in disappointment. And yet, there was still apart of him that refused to give up hope. Knowing what he had to do, Steven took a deep breath and when he spoke again, his words were soft and eloquent as they expressed his deepest wish.

_"All I wanna do….is see you turn into…..a giant woman. A giant woman!"_

Lapis turned back around to look at Steven and blinked at him in surprise. "Steven, what are you doing?" She looked over to Jasper and Peridot who were just as taken back by this development as she was, while Steven continued to sing.

_"All I wanna be, is someone who gets to see, you turn into, a giant woman"_

"Steven, stop singing" Lapis said, sharply. But Steven didn't stop singing. He spread his arm up wide and ran forward, leaping into the air, performing a quick twirl as he landed.

_"Oh, I know it'll be great and I just can't wait to see the person you are together. If you give it a chance. You can do a huge dance, because you are a giant woman. You might even like being together and if you don't it won't be forever"_

Lapis groaned wearily and pinched the bridge of her nose, wholeheartedly believing that this day couldn't have gotten worse.

Jasper glanced back and forth between Lapis and Steven, forming a very desperate idea in mind, but one she was still willing to try regardless. She moved up next to Steven and kneeled down beside him again.

_"All he wants to do, is see us turn into, a giant woman"_

Lapis' eyes snapped open; it had just gotten worse.

" _All he wants to be, is a kid who gets to see, a giant woman"_

 _"A giant woman"_ Steven chimed.

"Excuse me, but why is everyone singing?" Peridot asked aloud, fully expecting someone to answer her. Lapis said nothing and just gaped at Jasper in mixture of horror and embarrassment as she walked up to her, getting down on both her knees and taking Lapis by the hand.

_"Oh, can't you see, when we're together, we're as mighty as can be, cos we're a giant woman. I know in the past I've let you down, but if you give me the chance, I know we won't…uh…look like…a clown?"_

Peridot scoffed loudly. "Look, if you all just listen to me for one second, I can easily explain how-". Before Peridot could get another word out, Steven interrupted her with yet another improvised verse.

_"If you give her a chance, she'll do her best, to be best other half of you she can be. Don't you see, you two belong together just like glue!"_

"But doesn't anyone care about what I think we should do?" Peridot said, quietly in the background.

Steven and Jasper sang together in unison, their voices harmonised in an oddly pleasant way, the both of them becoming so engrossed in the song that they might have forgotten why they were doing it in the first place.

_"All we wanna do, is see you turn into, a giant wo-"_

"Enough!" Lapis snapped, breaking the two of them apart before they could go any further. "Please! Stop. Singing"

Lapis took a deep inhale and closed her eyes for a very long moment. When she opened them again, she had reached her decision.

"Ok, fine, we'll fuse" she said, defeated. "But!" she added as soon as she saw the look of excitement on Jasper's face, brandishing a wary finger at her. "I'm only doing this for Steven and so long as we get this over with as quickly as possible"

Jasper briefly looked humbled by her warning, but as soon as Lapis turned her back, she and Steven shared a quick high five, though Steven felt Jasper may have hit his hand a little too hard, wincing from the impact.

Together, Jasper and Lapis each assumed a position in the space between the hub and Warp Pad, standing a few yards apart of one another. Greatly excited, Jasper began stretching her arms in preparation, while Lapis was taking a series of slow and deep breaths to steady herself.

Realizing that they were actually about to perform their fusion, Peridot stood up from her rock and loudly cleared her throat before addressing them.

"Excuse me, but I can't help but notice that none of you have yet to ask me what I think we should do, which clearly is a grievous oversight on your part, as my expertise in this matter is undoubtedly invaluable".

Peridot closed her eyes and folded her hands behind her back, beginning to pace back and forth as she spoke, like a world-renowned scientist contemplating their latest thesis.

"Now, before you initiate fusion, allow me first to go over my plan for dismantling this hub, as well list all the reason why my suggested course of action is objectively better than yours in every conceivable way. Reason number one…"

Peridot prattled on plan, but her words seemed to become inaudible; although there was no conceivable way possible, a faint chord of music began playing over the hub, accompanying Jasper and Lapis as they prepared to fuse.

With her eyes closed, Lapis slowly begun to twirl her body, gliding across the sand on the tips of her toes, extending her arms out much like waltz.

Once Lapis was close enough, Jasper roughly grabbed her outstretched arm and pulled her body in close to her own, cradling her delicate figure in her massive arms. Wrapping her hands around Lapis's, Jasper practically flung her back and forth between stances, while Lapis simply kept her eyes closed, allowing herself to be swept along in the dance, like a driftwood caught in the endless ebb and flow of the ocean. It all culminated in Lapis performing one final twirl and then fell backwards into Jasper's arm, catching her for a dip.

For a moment nothing happened. Then both Jasper and Lapis respective gemstones began to glow, and their bodies transformed into outlines of pure light with the exception of their gemstones. The outlines melded together, forming a giant orb of light suspended in the air.

"Giantwomangiantwomangiantwomangiantwoman" Steven chanted, literally bouncing on his heels in anticipation. Behind him, Peridot smacked herself in the gemstone.

The orb expanded, growing larger, until it began to sprout appendages in the shape of giant arms, that slammed into the ground. A total of six arms emerged from the orb. The center of orb then began to contort, forming the basis of a body, albeit an oddly shaped one; two arms attached to a human torso, with another four that were attached to what appeared to be a second torso attached to the first. The upper torso then formed a neck and finally a head.

Once the light had solidified into it final shape, it faded, leaving its place a literally giant woman, who was almost as big as the communication hub itself. The lower half of her body was quadrupedal, but instead of legs, she was standing on four massive extra arms; her skin was a turquoise green and her hair was white like Jasper's yet closer to Lapis in shape. The only piece of clothing she worn was a dark grey suit, similar to Jasper's, that stretched up along her chest and lower torso.

The giant woman's head flopped forward, and she opened her eyes; she then opened a second pair of eyes above that set. Seeing Steven and Peridot gawking up at her, she gave them a crooked smile, before flipped her hair from side to side and letting out a deep exhale that sounded like a mixture of both pleasure and exhilaration.

"Oh, I forget how much I've missed this!" Malachite said, her voice a synthesized composite of both Jasper's and Lapis.

"That's Malachite?" Steven said, staring up at her gargantuan figure. He was unsure whether to be amazed, terrified, or both.

"Oh, this will not end well" Peridot said, in anticipation of the disaster that was sure to follow

"So, what do you think Steven?" Malachite said, placing her hands on her hips and giving another conceited flip of her white hair, striking an alluring pose for Steven. "I'm I every bit as impressive as you were expecting?"

"YES!" Steven said instantly throwing his fists up in the air. "Plus an extra bazillion!"

"Wait, till you see this!" With a sadistic grin on her face, Malachite stomped her way toward the hub, the ground shaking with each step she took. She pulled back her fist and struck at the nearest set of pillars, smashing them to pieces as easily as hitting cardboard. Chunks of the broken pillar began to rain down in every direction as Malachite torn her way through the hub, all the while laughing with mirthless joy.

Steven stared at Malachite in wonder, marvelling at her power and how easily she was able to take apart the massive hub. Peridot on the other hand, was a lot more concerned with the shower of rocks coming toward them, ducking her head down as another piece came close to hitting her.

"Ok, I think that might be a little too excessive!" Peridot yelled, but it was clear Malachite was not listening and even if she did, it's unlikely she would care. Still laughing, she formed Jasper's crash helmet on her head and brought it down onto the hub much like a real hammer, sending another wave of debris in the direction of Peridot and Steven.

With a panicked yelp, Peridot fired her finger-cannon, blasting an extremely big, oncoming boulder to pieces before it could crush them, although a small piece of debris still ricocheted off the blast and smacked Steven on the head, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey, watch it!" Peridot yelled. "You almost hit Steven". She turned her head and saw Steven sprawled out on the sand, rubbing his head. "Oh. Well, you almost hit him with a bigger rock, you dumb clod! What happened to getting this over with quickly?"

It was then that Malachite finally stopped her smashing; she was no longer laughing, instead she suddenly appeared very winded, breathing heavily, gripping one of the remaining pillars of the hub to steady herself as her whole body started trembling.

"You want this over with?!" she said, angrily. "Fine! How about this?!"

From her back, Malachite formed Lapis' water wings and with one huge flap, she launched herself upwards, creating a miniature sandstorm that enveloped Peridot and Steven. She flew up higher into the sky, to what must have been a mile high and then stopped, hovering in the air. Then with one more flap, she performed nose dive maneuverer, heading straight for the hub at hypersonic speed.

"Uh oh" Peridot said, truly scared for the first time. Knowing they had only seconds, Peridot quickly picked up Steven by his waist and tucked him securely under her arm before sprinting back toward the Warp Pad as fast as her feet would carry her.

With a panicked yelp, she jumped onto pad, which teleported both of them away in the nick of time, as Malachite collided with the hub, hitting it with the force of a meteorite, creating a massive explosion that obliterated the hub, the Warp Pad and everything else in the surrounding area.

* * *

In another flash of light, Peridot and Steven returned to the Warp Pad at the Temple. Seeing they were out of the danger area, Peridot breathed a sigh of relief and placed Steven down on the floor.

"Aw! You took us away at the best part!" he moaned.

"Believe me, that's the part you don't want to be anywhere near" Peridot said, grimly.

"Shouldn't we go back for Malachite? I mean, Jasper and Lapis" Steven said, glancing at the Warp Pad.

"I'm sure they'll find their own way" Peridot replied, rather dryly. She paused, looking over Steven. Brushing away some of his hair, she spotted a tiny cut on his forehead from where the rock had hit him, though it looked one no worse than a cat scratch.

"Steven, you're hurt" she said, her concern evident. "Hold on. I'll get the human plastering liquid"

"You mean the iodine, right?" Steven asked hesitantly, vividly recalling the last time he had been injured and Peridot personally tended to him.

"Yes, I know which one it is…..this time" she replied under her breath, opening one of the upper cupboards and removing the iodine bottle from the upper shelf along with a packet of gauze wrapping.

"Do you see how incredible Malachite was back there?" Steven said, sitting on the edge of the Warp Pad, kicking his feet in the air, unable to contain his excitement at finally seeing a Gem fusion for the first time. "She was huge! She had Lapis' wings and Jasper's crash helmet. And she had arms for legs!"

Just as Peridot bent down in front of the Warp Pad, Steven suddenly grabbed her by both cheeks and pulled her in close to his face.

"Arms. For. Legs!" he whispered, ominously

"Yes, Steven, I am well aware" Peridot said, her voice slightly muffled. Steven soon released her again. "Thank you for pointing out what was extremely obvious to me. Now, please hold still, while I apply the iodine".

Peridot ripped off a piece of the gauze, folded it and poured a tiny amount of iodine into the fabric. With a steady hand, she slowly lowered it onto Steven's cut, but Steven continued to fidget uncontrollably, thinking about nothing else but the idea of Fusion.

"I had no idea Gem fusions could be so amazing! Are your fusions that cool, Peridot?"

With an involuntary jerk of her arm, Peridot thrust the iodine-soaked gauze directly onto Steven's cut with far more force than she intended. Steven's sucked in his breath, but otherwise made no sound, despite the intense stinging pain ripping throughout his head, his eyes beginning to water. Peridot smiled nervously and slowly peeled the gauze off his forehead. She immediately ripped off another piece and careful cleaned the excessive liquid off.

"Steven, you shouldn't get too excited about fusion" she said, reproachfully, stepping onto the Warp Pad behind Steven, beginning to wrap a fresh sheet of gauze around his head. "It's a completely standard ability among Gems, just like shapeshifting. But under…ordinary circumstances, such those were you heed exceptional advisable council, Gems should have no need to combine with each other. Not to mention Malachite is….well…."

Peridot trailed off, appearing to be at a loss for words or even sharp critique. A rare occurrence indeed as it made Steven turned his head to look back at her in surprise, before she cleared her throat and resumed speaking.

"Just think of fusion as merely as a unique capability to fulfil a functional purpose" she said flatly. "There's no other need to overly glorify it. Besides, it's not like it's something that you'll ever need to worry about"

With an electrified tip of her finger, she neatly cut the gauze off its roll and then tied it around Steven's head. Satisfied, Peridot stepped off Warp Pad, but Steven remained sitting, stuck on something Peridot had just said.

"Wait, you mean…. I can't fuse?" he said.

Peridot froze, her shoulders tensing and slowly turned back to look at Steven with a hesitant expression, as she considered all the best possible ways to answer that question.

"Um….I honestly don't know, Steven. What I mean to say," she added quickly, catching the look in his eyes. "Is that it may well be within the realm of possibility, but we still have yet to understand the full limits of all of your abilities as both a human and as a Gem. You barely have control over your shield as it is, and I don't even want to talk about what happened when you tried shapeshifting"

"Fingers and cats must never be one again" Steven said solemnly.

"Perhaps one day, when the appropriate conditions present themselves, we'll know for certain whether or not you can fuse. If it makes you feel better, for the time being let's just assume you can't fuse and that you never will, that way if it turns you really can't, you'll have no expectations to fall short off. Doesn't that sound great?"

Peridot beamed down happily at Steven, who stared back at her with a blank expression.

"I am unable to argue with your logic" he said.

* * *

Later in the day, Peridot was strolling along the edge of beach, her trademark finger-screen in hand (very literally), as she was updating her latest log file for the day.

"Log date. I've completed my routine perimeter check of the Temple and Beach City. As per usual, no signs of Corrupted Gem activity in the vicinity, which means I can now safely return to the Temple and resume my 456th re-watch of Camp Pining Hearts season 4. I still have yet to conclude if this season is superior to- "

"Come on! Work those buns people!"

"Huh?" Peridot torn her eyes away from her screen and found a rather odd sight waiting for her at the base of the Temple; a large ring drawn out in the sand, with a number of mismatched oddities crudely cobbled together in the middle of it, such a set of tires, a cupboard, a ladder and series of dumb bells.

Steven was standing on the outside of the ring, wearing a sweatband, sunglasses and holding a megaphone up to his mouth, barking away orders to his father Greg, as well as Lars and Sadie who were performing various exercises using, for lack of a better word, the equipment. Greg then noticed Peridot watching them.

"Hey, Peridot. Come to check out some buff studs?" he asked while lifting his weights.

Peridot deactivated her finger-screen and stared at Greg with a deadpanned expression. "I could comprise an extensive list of activities that would be a much better use of my time"

"Let me guess? Watching Camp Pining Hearts again?" Greg asked, smirking.

Peridot paused, and avoided Greg's eye, crossing her arms. "That would be an extremely high point on the list, yes. And an extremely low point would be continuing this conversation with you". Peridot walked off, leaving Greg to his workout, and approached Steven, who was still barking orders into his megaphone.

"Let's go, I want to see some sweat!"

"Steven…" Peridot began. Steven turned to face her, still holding the megaphone to his mouth as he spoke.

"Hey Peridot!" he said, his amplified voice blasting her in the face, causing her to wince. Realizing his mistake, Steven lowered the megaphone.

"Steven, what you are doing?" she asked, holding back her aggravation as best as she could.

"Well, you said that I might not be able to fuse. So, I decided if I can't fuse, then I'll have to get stronger on my own. So Dad helped me put together this gym, so we can all get strong, just like Malachite. I'mma get SUPA STRONG!" Steven growled and flexed his arms in an exaggerated manner.

"This is not the conclusion that I intended for you to draw from our conversation" Peridot said, brandishing her hand at the makeshift gym.

"But I gotta be strong so I can be useful to the team" Steven said.

"Utility isn't just from derived from strength, Steven" Peridot said, rubbing her eyes. "There are many other important contributing factors. Preparation, co-ordination, careful analysis and strategy. The long-term strength of your mind outweighs almost any short-term physical advantage-"

"Come on Lars, don't slack off" Steven said into his megaphone, seeing Lars take a moment to slouch in the sand. "Pump those buns"

Peridot growled, scrunching her face up in frustration, officially fed up with being interrupted.

"Will you listen to me!" she snapped harshly, causing Steven to flinch at the sound of her voice. He lowered his megaphone and gave Peridot his full attention.

"Brains triumphs over brawn!" she said, phrasing her point in as simplest terms as possible. "You don't need strength, so long as you use your head"

"But I wanna actually be strong" Steven argued back. "I don't wanna just think about it. Malachite doesn't have to think, she just tears down whatever's in her way with all her powers. Don't you want to be strong like that, Peridot?"

Peridot flushed, looking extremely indignant, as though Steven had unintentionally insulted her. She sputtered loudly, her voice caught in her throat as she tried form a response, but then gave up and angrily threw her hands up into the air, before marching up the hill toward Temple, leaving a very confused Steven behind her in wake.

Reaching the balcony of the Beach House, Peridot opened the door and slammed it shut behind her as she entered. Once inside, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, re-composing herself, grateful, at the very least, to be home again. She opened her eyes again and the first thing she saw was the floor was littered with Steven's discarded clothes.

There was no sound, but something definitely snapped. Screaming in rage, Peridot grabbed nearest shirt off the floor and sunk her teeth into the pink fabric, getting down on all fours and thrashing the shirt about wildly in her mouth, looking very much like a dog that had found the morning newspaper. After a few minutes of hysterical shirt gnawing, Peridot anger seem to subside, and it was only then did she take notice of what she was doing. With an embarrassed groan, she spit out what was left of Steven's shirt from her mouth and stood upright again, looking melancholy; there was only one left to do to make herself feel better.

"Peridot, log date. Jasper and Lapis still have yet to return from our last mission. In the meantime, Steven has taken his adoration of Malachite to an excessive level. He's actually built a primitive training arena to help himself become stronger".

Peridot walked over to the window and briefly glanced down at Greg and others as they continued exercising before turning back into the house.

"A total waste of time and energy. And for what? What's so great about Malachite that Steven would choose to devote this much effort into emulating her? It's obviously a bad idea, yet even as I say it, no one will take it seriously. And the most vexing part is that I can't figure out why!"

Frustrated, Peridot collapsed down onto the couch, leaning her head back as she stared up to the ceiling with a scowl, contemplating this dilemma, replaying back all the most recent events in her mind, trying to understand what she did wrong. She raised up her other hand and formed a second screen, once again bringing up a detailed schematic of the communication hub.

"I know almost everything there is to know about Gem Communication Hub construction and maintenance. I could probably build one if I had to. If they had just let me explain how to do it, we could have dismantled that hub in the correct way, with total efficiency, expediency, and minimal margin for error".

Scowling again, Peridot got up from the couch and began pacing up and down the kitchen, her emotions surfacing easier the more she spoke.

"Why doesn't anybody listen to what I have to say? Obviously, I know what I'm talking about. I wouldn't be talking if I didn't. I'm I just…..not loud enough? No, that can't be right. There's no correlation between volume and accuracy. Blaring loudly into a megaphone doesn't help get your point across when you know absolutely nothing about the subject matter. So why am I repeatedly ignored?"

Sighing, Peridot turned to look at the portrait of Rose hanging up just left above the door frame. She knew that Rose would listen to her. She always listened to her.

"I'm a Crystal Gem too" Peridot said. "I'm an important part of this team. I am useful, I am strong. These clods are lucky to have me. My knowledge and technical expertise are invaluable assets, even if I don't have any-"

Peridot caught herself mid-sentence, finding herself unable to continue. She was looking down at her metal limbs, her cylindrical fingers hovering at her command. She suddenly felt very disgusted with herself. With a weary groan, she deactivated her finger-screen.

"What is even the point in complaining?" she muttered bitterly. "Not like anybody's going to listen". Annoyed she walked over to the Temple door, which opened up as the door into her own room.

Unbeknownst to Peridot, however, Steven was just outside on the balcony of the Beach House, crouched down behind the window, and contrary to her own belief, he had listened to every word she had said. He took off his sunglasses and looked out over his gym from the balcony, seeing Lars, Sadie and Greg exercising without his direction. He glanced down at the megaphone in his hands, now feeling that something was off about what he was doing, and he knew exactly what do to correct it.

"Steven, where are you going?" Greg asked, watching Steven as he ran down the hill in front of the temple and heading into the direction of town.

"I'll be back soon" he called back, without stopping. "Just keep working out"

True to his word, Steven had returned not long after, carrying in his arms a stack of books in his arms. He dropped the books to the ground and picked one up, quickly flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He then set his eyes on Lars, who was in the middle of performing his push ups.

"Lars, hold it right there!" Steven yelled into his megaphone.

"Wh-what?" Lars said, straining himself as he held his position in mid-air.

"You're doing your push ups all wrong!" Steven briefly scanned his book and began to read off a page, while still shouting into his megaphone, which he was holding less than a few inches away from Lars's ears.

"You heard me! Back straight, butt raised, head looking straight, arms at shoulder width apart. Keep your whole body as one straight line. Maintain that position and push". Steven adjusted Lars into the correct position and walked him through his push ups, correcting him on even the slightest mistake, using the book as a guide and the megaphone as his mouthpiece.

"That right's keep it up! Don't slack off on the last couple, I want consistency. Now stop!" Lars flopped down to the sand, looking exhausted. "Now give yourself thirty seconds of rest time and then start again".

Satisfied, Steven turned his attention to Sadie who was jumping roping, panting heavily as sweat poured down her neck and forehead.

"Sadie, here!" Steven tossed a bottle of water at her, which she caught instinctively, pausing in her jumping, eyeing the bottle quizzically.

"Regular hydration is crucial for maintaining performance. Drink it slowly, then following with another ten minutes of jump ropes. Be sure to alternate between your stances"

Next on Steven's hit list was Greg, bench pressing while standing with a barbell, struggling with consecutive lift.

"Dad, put that down!" Steven said. Greg gratefully complied, setting the barbell on the sand. Steven squatted in front of the barbell and removed the extra weights attached on either side.

"More reps with less weight, Dad" he said, allowing Greg to resume. "I want at least dozen more. And then, I want you change position. I don't just want your triceps. I want your biceps, your calves, your abs, your pecs. I expect you to work rigorously on every muscle your body. Now give me all you got!"

"Uh, Steven," Greg said, hesitantly. "You sure you know what you're-"

"You heard me you clods!" Steven said, shouting into the megaphone, looking and sounding like a shorter and louder version of Peridot. "If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right. Now listen up and I'll explain exactly what you need to do!"

* * *

"Steven, come on!" Sadie called, her voice reaching up to the Beach House. "We're ready to get started! We can't work out without your, uh, technical coaching skills"

"Be there in a sec" Steven replied weakly, his face planted squarely on the floor. "I can't move…" Steven groaned heavily, feeling as though every muscle in his body had been plastered in cement. Despite his stiffness, he managed to pull himself to his feet, dreading the workout ahead. From his bed, he saw Peridot, pacing around the Warp Pad, looking worried.

"Something is very wrong" she said. "Jasper and Lapis haven't returned yet. I tried going back to check on them, but the Warp Pad is down. As I suspected, those two clods have gone and made yet another-"

Peridot was abruptly cut off by a loud rumbling sound, which accompanied a violent tremor that shook the entire house. At first it sounded faint, yet it was growing increasingly louder with each passing interval.

Together, Peridot and Steven rushed out onto the balcony, to try and see what was causing the disruption. Down at the beach, Greg, Lars and Sadie, who were already in the middle of their respective workouts but stopped when they too noticed the sudden earthquakes. Next thing they knew, a small fishing boat landed right on the beach next to the gym. A moment later, a man in a yellow rain coat and hat popped his head out of the boat.

"Yellowtail?" Greg said in surprise. "What happened to you?"

"Muh muh muh!" he said, frantically pointing out at the water. "Muh muh muh, muh muh!".

Reacting as though he had understood that, Greg turned his head to the horizon and spotted a great shadow lurking underneath the surface of the water, fast approaching them. The water then parted as Malachite emerged from the ocean, looking disheveled and furious, pulling her head and roaring up to the sky.

Lars and Sadie both screamed and fled in terror at the sight of Malachite, followed by Yellowtail, who hopped off his boat. Greg remained where he was, looking more worried than afraid.

"Ah jeez. They did Malachite again, didn't they?" he said. Greg then quickly hurried after the others just as Malachite encroached onto the beach, knowing from experience to stay as far away from her as possible.

Once Greg and the others were out of harm's way, Peridot hurriedly descended down from the Beach House, with Steven trudging behind her at a snail's pace, still finding hard to move. He didn't catch up to her int time before she confronted Malachite.

"You're still fused together?!" Peridot exclaimed in disbelief and alarm.

"How else was I supposed to get back here?!" Malachite yelled down at her. "You left me behind!"

"Technically, we ran away from you" Peridot clarified. "But that's beside the point. You two have been fused for far too long. This turning out exactly like the last time. Your fusion is getting out of control. You need to un-fuse right now!"

"Or what?!". Malachite crouched down and brought her giant face directly in front of Peridot. "You think you can make me?"

Peridot retreated a few inches back from Malachite's face, her confidence waning. "Well, uh, not if you don't make me….make you?"

Malachite threw her head back and cackled loudly. "You think you can make me do anything? You couldn't beat either of us even if we weren't fused!"

Lowering one of her massive hands down to Peridot, with her index finger tucked behind her thumb, Malachite released her finger and literally flicked Peridot away as easily as she would have a fly. Peridot was sent spiraling backwards through the air, screaming wildly until she landed in a patch of sand.

Malachite cackled yet again, thoroughly enjoying herself. Moving closer onto the beach, she noticed Greg's makeshift gym at her feet, or rather her hands. Still cackling, she smashed her fist into the gym, destroying it for no particular reason, other than she seemed to get a kick out of it.

"Why is she wrecking Dad's gym?" Steven asked Peridot, while trying to help her back to her feet, at total loss as to what was happening. "What's wrong with her? I mean, them?"

"Steven, you have to get back!" Peridot said with extreme urgency, pushing Steven away from her. Steven tumbled backwards and fell flat on his back. To his horror, he soon found that he couldn't get back up again. Greg then re-appeared and picked Steven up in his arms.

"Come on, Stew-ball" he said, sounding scared, as he began carrying him away from the beach. "Believe me, this is gonna get ugly"

Malachite continued her rampage, but her fun was then cut short when a green bubble of energy wrapped around her right fist like a giant-sized handcuff, holding it place before she could destroy anything else

"Alright, you forced me to do this" Peridot said, looking serious again, her tractor beam extending out from her palm, but this only seemed to amuse Malachite even further, as she resumed laughing.

Raising her free hand, she summoned up a huge column of water out of the ocean, which took the shape an arm. Before Peridot could make any attempt to dodge it, a giant fist of water came down upon her, smashing her into the ground, and the in the process knocking Steven and Greg into the air with the strength of the impact; Greg was thrown further away from the battle, while Steven landed closer, behind a small dune of sand.

"Still…can't move" Steven moaned, finding himself completely immobile

The tractor beam now severed, the watery arm plucked Peridot up from the sand and tossed her toward the smirking Malachite, who merely swatted her away again with a hard backhand, looking as though she barely any effort into it. Peridot's body crashed into the beach, digging up small trench in the process.

Coughing, Peridot pulled herself out of the trench and tried to take a few steps forward, but her legs began to wobble, and she soon collapsed to her knees and hands, her head spinning widely.

"You know what I just realized?" Malachite taunted as she loomed over the fallen Peridot. "We don't even need you anymore. I'm enough Crystal Gem to crush anything that comes our way. I got water. I got strength. But you? You've got nothing. Nothing but your little toys and your big mouth. You actually thought you could beat me? You're nothing compared to me! The only reason you're even here, is because Rose took pity on you. You're not even a real Crystal Gem!"

Peridot stared up at Malachite, whose words pierced her more painfully than she wanted to admit. If there was a time to lose hope, it was certainly now. She could see no plausible way out of this, no way to stop Malachite, not this time. Not without Rose. Close to tears, Peridot buried her face in the sand, covered her head with her arms, bracing herself for the inevitable shattering.

"That's not true!"

Peridot pulled her head out of the sand and turned around in surprise to see Steven, lying flat on his belly, speaking into his megaphone.

"Peridot's is a Crystal Gem" he said, his voice echoing across the entire beach. "Maybe's she not big or strong, but she's got brains, she's got guts and she's got heart! She never gives up and she always knows what to do! And even if no one listens to her, she'll always speak her mind no matter what!"

"Steven, you don't understand" Peridot said weakly. "I can't stop her, I'm-I'm not-"

"Of course you can stop her!" Steven re-iterated with absolute confidence. "Now you listen to me! I know that you can beat her. I know you won't give up! I know you are strong! I wouldn't be saying that if I didn't know it was true! We're lucky to have you with us!"

Peridot's eyes widened, realizing in an instant what Steven was trying to tell her. Her metal fingers balled into fists, the strength in her legs and the confidence in her chest returning in full swing.

"You're right" she said, softly at first and then again with more vigour. "You're right! I can beat her!" Peridot got back to her feet and raised her fists up, taking a fighting stance before Malachite, who snarled down at her ferociously. After a moment, Peridot paused and turned back to Steven.

"Uh, how exactly do I beat her?" she called out to him.

"I have no idea!" Steven replied with earnest. "But I totally believe in you!"

Peridot groaned painfully. "Why do you keep saying that? It's compelling me to keep trying!"

"It doesn't matter how big she is, she's just-" Steven blinked once, as something akin to a bolt of lightning passed through his mind.

_"No matter how large or strong any structure is, it's weakness will also be its own weight"_

"That's it" he whispered to himself. He spoke into the megaphone again. "You gotta knock off her feet-hands!"

"Wha-?" Peridot said, confused.

"Compromise her load bearing capacity!"

Peridot glanced up at Malachite and then at her lower body, quickly comprehending. Calculating the nesscessary math in her mind in under a second, Peridot powered-up her finger-cannon and took off in a run, going underneath Malachite's abdomen, much to the latter's confusion.

With aim accurate to the nearest millimeter, Peridot fired her finger-cannon at the base of the nearest back leg. She fired again at one of the front legs, hitting between the joints. Malachite yelped, feeling the sting from each blow. She scurried along the beach, much a like a giant crab, trying to expose Peridot, but Peridot made sure to stay directly underneath Malachite's body.

Frustrated, Malachite reached underneath her lower torso with one of her front lower arms in an attempt to grab Peridot. Seeing her chance, Peridot dodged Malachite hand and then fired another blast at her adjacent back leg, which finally gave way from the strain. Losing her balance, Malachite's body faltered to one side, before she quickly used her upper right arm to steady herself.

Emerging from underneath Malachite, Peridot then activated her finger-copter and took off into the air, flying up behind her. Before Malachite had the chance to fully recover, Peridot fired another three consecutive shots up along her right arm.

Her right arm giving way under her own weight, Malachite toppled over and collapsed on her side, creating another huge tremor as her body slammed down on the beach.

"Woo-hoo! Way to go Peridot!" Steven cheered.

"Haha! I told you Steven!" Peridot said, triumphantly, descending back to the ground, taking the moment to stand proud and victorious for all to see. "Brains triumphs over-"

A massive turquoise hand slammed down upon Peridot, burying her into the ground. When the hand lifted, it left a distinctive imprint in the sand, with Peridot embedded in the center of it.

"….Brawn" she finished weakly. Straining herself, Peridot popped out of the hole, her head bobbing back and forth. She tried to raise her right arm but felt something off about it. Looking down, emerald sparks fired out from her palm and her metal fingers clattered down to the sand, lifeless.

"Oh, not good, not good!" Peridot muttered, immediately trying to get her arm working again, as Malachite was slowly pulled herself back up.

"Come on, Peridot!" Steven said, continue to throw enthusiasm her way. "Just come up with another amazing strategy and kick her butt! You can win no matter what she throws at you!

Malachite let out another frustrated roar, punching her fist into the ground, turning her attention to Steven. "Will you just SHUT UP!"

Going into another blind frenzy, Malachite's hand grabbed Yellowtail's capsized boat and threw it directly at Steven.

Steven screamed in terror at the oncoming boat about to crush him to paste. Malachite cruel snarl faded instantly, as though she had been brought out of some kind of hypnotic trance, now looking confused and scared.

"Wha-?" she gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "No, no! Steven!

"Come on, come on!" Peridot said, shaking her right arm madly, trying to activate her tractor beam. With no time remaining, Peridot closed her eyes and aimed her arm at the boat, hoping against like rational thought that the beam would fire, her mind focused on nothing else but pulling the boat away from Steven.

Steven covered his head with his arms, expecting to be turned into a human pancake at any moment. But after a moment, he had yet to become a pancake. Peeking out from his arms, he saw Yelllowtail's suspended in mid-air like it had been caught by a giant magnet. The boat then went into full reverse and was now sent flying toward Malachite, who was grabbing fistfuls of her hair.

"What have I- what have we done?" Malachite was so caught up in her own anguish, she didn't notice Yellowtail's boat as it came hurtling toward her, glancing up just in time to see it smack her in the face. Malachite vanished in a literal puff of smoke and in her place, Jasper and Lapis reappeared, both falling down to the sand, while Yellowtail's boar sailed through the air and safely landed back in the water with a large plop.

Peridot finally opened her eyes and to her great relief, saw that Steven was uninjured. Surprised, looked down at her metal arm, which still appeared to be inoperable; she was certain that her tractor beam couldn't have fired and yet she could think of no other possible explanation as to what had just happened.

Putting that mystery aside, Peridot glanced over to Jasper and Lapis, the two of them laying sprawled out on the sand, appearing to be unconscious. Her first thought was concern for their wellbeing. And then came a second thought, which she concluded was more important; she had won.

"I did it!" Peridot cheered, so loud and confident, that no one would ever have suspected her of doubting herself in the first place.

From where they had fallen, Jasper was the first to recover, managing to get back to her feet, thought not without some difficulty.

"Oh, man. What did we do?" Jasper said, rubbing the side of her head, looking very much like a person the morning after a wild night of drinking. She turned to Lapis, who was still on the ground, unmoving.

"Lapis!" Concerned, Jasper picked Lapis up by her arms and tried to help her back to her feet, as gently and as slowly as she could. "Lapis, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for-"

Without warning, Lapis pulled herself away from Jasper and stood up on her own without any assistance, while keeping her back to Jasper.

"I told you we shouldn't have fused again" Lapis said. Her voice was very steady and flat, yet there was an unmistakable fury behind it that may have snapped at any moment. "I told you this might happen, and I still let you talk me into it"

"Lapis, I-" Jasper began, looking miserable, but Lapis continued as though she couldn't hear her.

"We attacked on our home, we attacked Peridot. We even tried to hurt Steven" Lapis said. She wrapped her arms around her chest, her fingers digging into the blue skin of arms; a stream of tears could be seen trailing down her chin.

"Lapis, please listen, you were right" Jasper said, desperately. "It was all my fault. I should have-"

Lapis finally turned to face Jasper, who flinched at the look of pure unrelenting hate in her eyes. "We are never fusing again"

This time there would be no counter argument or persuasion and Jasper knew it. She lowered her head down, guilt ridden, unable to even look Lapis in the eye, as she turned back to her once again, ashamed of what she had put her through and had no words to express how sorry she was.

The chilling silence was then broken by Peridot, who ran in-between them and started to run around in circles, her arms raised in the air like an excited child, still celebrating her victory.

"Woo! Woo! Praise me! Praise me! Who's up for another mission. Let's go out there and kick some butt. Peridot log date, I am awesome! Woo!"

Peridot abruptly ceased her jubilation when she finally took notice of the atmosphere. She glanced between Jasper and Lapis, neither of whom made any acknowledgment of her presence or interruption. Peridot slowly lowered her arms, immediately regretting her over-zealousness behaviour. She quietly backed away from Jasper and Lapis, and kept her mouth closed, knowing it wasn't her place to speak.

Steven was watching all of the from afar, still unable to move his body, though it may not have had anything to do with his muscles cramps anymore. It wasn't long before Greg, returned. He too was watching the Crystal Gems with a perturbed look.

"Steven, you ok?" Greg asked, helping Steven back to his feet.

"I'm fine" he answered quietly, staring down at the sand.

"What the heck just happened?" Lars said, approaching Steven and Greg, while standing cautiously behind Sadie.

"I think the gym is closed" Steven replied sadly.

"For how long?" Sadie asked.

Steven took one more look at the Crystal Gems; Lapis was staring off into the ocean, alone and mournful; Jasper was standing behind her, tethering on the verge of trying to talk to her, but she might as well have been a thousand miles away from her; Peridot was squatting down in the sand, occupying herself by perfunctorily repairing her damaged arm.

"I think, maybe forever" Steven said, dejectedly, dropping his megaphone to the sand.


	4. Ice Gem

As always, it was a bright, sunny and warm day in Beach City. The sky a brilliant streak of unbroken blue, accompanied by occasional drifting cloud and the yellow sun hanging just below its highest point. Everything was set at just the right degree; the temperature, the humidity in the air, the breeze of the wind. It was a beautifully perfect day

Partaking in this perfect day was Steven Universe and his best friend Connie, the two of them strolling briskly down the vacant sidewalk, enjoying the fresh air, sunshine and best of all, each other's company. Unfortunately, one of those was things was about to be cut short.

"I'm sorry I don't enough time to hang out today Steven" Connie said, with an apologetic look. A large duffle bag was hanging over her left shoulder. She herself would much love to spend more time with Steven, but she knew she had her own obligations that had to come first. "I gotta get to my tennis practice soon. Then my Mom wants us to go for a family dinner."

"It's ok" Steven said, trying not to sound upset at the expense of Connie's feelings, but he couldn't help but leave a small twinge of disappointment in his voice. They stopped at edge of the sidewalk beside a nearby bus bench. He heaved himself up onto the bench, avoiding Connie's gaze. "I'm sure I can find something else to do"

"The Gems don't have any missions today?" Connie asked, knowing just how much Steven enjoyed going out on one of their Gem-escapades, as he never missed an opportunity to tell her about every single one of them in detail after he came back.

"No, not today" Steven sighed, laying down on the bench, his hands flat on his belly as he stared up to the blue sky. "None of Peridot's flask robots have found anything weird that we should go and investigate. That's why I thought maybe we could spend the day together, but I guess not"

There was no accusation in Steven's voice, but Connie nonetheless lowered her head, as she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for being too busy to spend time with Steven when his own schedule was wide open. But then another thought quickly popped into her head to cheer her up.

"Well hey, don't worry" Connie said, putting on a happy smile. "School's going to be over soon and then it'll be summer vacation. We'll have lots to spend together then"

Steven sat upright on the bench, looking interested, rubbing his chin in an expressively pompous and intellectual manner.

"I've never been to this, how you say, schooool?" he said, pronouncing the last word with a prolonged drawl, like a visiting dignitary from some foreign country adapting to a new vocabulary. "How does it work?"

"It's where you go to learn" Connie said. "It's got books and maps, and desks and chalkboards, and lockers and-"

"Hmm-mmm" Steven said, his eyes closed, nodding pensively at Connie's every word as she listed off all the school related paraphernalia she could think of. Once she had finished, Steven stood up on top of the bench, placing his fists on his hips.

"Okay, I think I have everything I need to know" he said, feeling revitalised and exuberant. "It's time for me to create my very own school!"

Steven hopped off the bus bench, with a renewed sense of determination for the rest of the day ahead of him, but before he could make it even five feet down the street, Connie cleared her throat loud enough to get his attention, forcing him to stop and turn back to face her as she was giving him a stern, yet amused expression.

"Steven, follow-up questions?" she said, coyly raising one eyebrow at him.

"Oh, right" he said, blushing in embarrassment, making Connie giggle at him. "So, what do you do with that stuff you mentioned?"

"Well, we use to them learn about things" Connie continued. "Like say, a teacher might write something on the chalkboard and we'd write it down in our notebooks. Or they might ask us to read out of one of our books. And then we put our books in our lockers, and then we go to the lunchroom and have something to eat, then go back to class and then at the end of the day, the bell rings, meaning that we can all go home on the bus"

"Wow, that's what school is like?" Steven said in awe. "It all sounds so interesting. Why haven't I been doing that all this time? How could I have missed out something so entertaining and meaningful!"

Steven fell to his knees and threw his airs up in the air, lamenting towards the sky. "I've wasted my entire childhood!"

Connie giggled again at Steven's reaction, particularly at the use of the word entertaining, which wouldn't typically be the first adjective she would use to describe school.

"Well, I'm sure it's not a big deal for you" she said. "You wouldn't really have time for regular school, since you're too busy doing Gem stuff. So, does that mean you were home schooled then?"

"What is this, how you say, home schooled?" Steven said, repeating his earlier expression and drawl.

"It's like regular school, except that you do it at home" Connie replied. She looked at him curiously. "Hasn't anybody ever taught you things before?"

"Well, you teach me new stuff all the time" Steven said with earnest, not noticing the sudden flushing in Connie's cheeks. "And Dad always been teaching things since as long as I can remember. Like how to read, how to write, how to count, how to play the guitar, how to apply fresh coats of wax. Plus, the Gems teach me all about the magic stuff we do. And I get see all sorts of weird and amazing new places whenever I go missions with them".

While Steven spoke with great enthusiasm, his statement didn't come off as a boast or gloat, as he himself was far too humble for that. Nevertheless, Connie was now staring at him with something that might have resembled envy or longing.

"Yeah, that does great" she said quietly, wistfully while gazing up at a nearby set of clouds. After a moment she spoke again. "I guess school is just something for regular kids like me to do. Kids without magic powers who go on amazing adventures. Really, it's mostly something to help us get jobs and plan ahead for our futures"

"Futures?" Steven said.

"Yeah, what they want to do with their lives when they grow up" Connie said. "Like my Mom. She started studying to be a doctor when she was my age. It took a lot of time and effort for to get to where she is now, so she had to be sure to plan out her career path"

"Whoa. She thought all way ahead?" Steven said, amazed.

Connie nodded. "And my Dad had to work hard to be a private security guard too. Well actually, I think he might have just taken an online class"

"What are you gonna be when you grow up?" Steven asked, very eager to hear to her answer.

"Hmm" Connie paused, as she considered this. She glanced down at her green duffel bag and opened it, pulling out her tennis racket. She turned the racket over in her hands a few times, as though it held some intrinsic value that she was trying to decipher.

Then in a sudden flash of motion, Connie jumped up into the air and landed with her with her feet spread out, thrusting her tennis racket out in striking pose.

"Professional sword fighter! He-yaa!" she cried, performing a series of practice swings with her racket, slicing it through the air, cutting down some invisible foes standing before her. The bookworm Connie had vanished and in her place was a seasoned warrior on the battlefield, relentless and determined. She continued to swing her razor-sharp blade with such intensity and clinical precision, that she was actually starting to frighten Steven a little.

After bringing her racket down for one mighty vertical slash, Connie then thrust the tip of her racket at Steven, pressing it right up to his throat.

"Ahh! Mercy, mercy!" Steven cried fearfully, throwing his hands in the air. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was trying to convince himself that the tennis racket was not a real sword.

Connie held Steven in place with the tip of her racket for a few moments, until her cold and merciless expression broke into a fit of innocent laughter. She pulled the racket away from Steven's neck, making him breathe a sigh of relief, consciously rubbing the spot under his chin where the racket had brushed against. Her moment of fantasy now over, Connie return to her normal posture, feeling a little embarrassed, the blade in her hand transforming back into a harmless racket.

"The truth is, I don't really know yet what I'm going to do" she said, getting back to their previous topic while placing her racket back inside her duffel bag. "I've still got a lot of time to figure things out. Except-". Connie trailed off, her optimistic smile turning to a frown, as an unpleasant thought suddenly crossed her mind.

"Except what?" Steven asked.

Connie sighed and crossed her arms, staring down at the pavement with a slightly frustrated expression. Steven noted this with a hint of concern and curiosity.

"Nothing" she said finally. "It's just, well, it's just my Mom". She sounded rather guilty. Steven blinked at her in surprise. "She's been pressuring me a lot lately about putting some more serious thought into my career path".

Connie groaned wearily. "Sometimes, it's like she expects me to know everything that I'm going to do in the next ten years, every ten minutes."

"Why does she want you to do that?" Steven asked, his curiosity rising.

"She always wants me to be thinking about my future" Connie said. "Always wants me to be prepared and have some kind of plan in place to fall back in case anything goes wrong. That's why she and my Dad try to plan out everything I do all the time. All my classes, my homework, all my extra curriculars. They want to be sure I can get all the best opportunities possible, making sure I have all the right advantages for my future career. I have to know what I'm going to be doing every day before my day even starts. It gets really exhausting"

Connie didn't notice it, but Steven was staring at her in a kind of awe, hanging on every word she was saying.

"You know everything that you're going to do every day?" he said, hardly able to control his sense of disbelief at such a concept.

Seeing the look on his face, Connie reached into her duffel bag again and pulled out a folded-up notebook. She opened the middle of the notebook, to reveal a detail calendar, coloured-coded with numerous activities and times.

"See, this is my schedule" she explained, handing Steven the calendar. "It's got all of my activities for each day which get planned out a week in advance. What they are, how long they'll be, what comes next…"

Steven only barely seemed to be listening to Connie as she explained the machinations of her schedule. He was staring at the differently coloured square boxes that covered the entire page, as though he was admiring a piece of priceless artwork, marvelling at the efficiently of how Connie could organise her daily routines.

"Even today I knew I only had a little while to talk to you before I-oh no!" Connie abruptly snatched the calendar out of Steven's hand and examined it again, before tossing back into her duffel bag, which she then hurriedly threw over her shoulder.

"I gotta go, or I'll be late for my tennis practice" she said, only now realizing that she had lost track of time, already heading over to the side of the street, while waving to goodbye to Steven as she left. "Bye, Steven! I'll see you later"

Steven stood on his end of the street, waving his hand idly in response, watching Connie as she sprinted down the pavement and out of sight.

* * *

With literally nothing else planned for his day, Steven simply went by his natural instinct and headed toward familiarly territory, in this case the Big Donut. He hoped the prospect of a good donut would clear his head, but he couldn't get the conversation with Connie out of his head.

He had never devoted much time to thinking about his own future before, about would come of him the next day. He had never thought about what any day might bring for him, but to see Connie play every day in rigid detail made him feel a little envious. He now wished he could plan out his own life as effectively as she could. Steven had always been the kind of person who lived in the moment, but now that he was thinking about the future, he found he could not stop thinking about the future and was barely able to remember the present anymore.

The store bell chimed loudly, signalling Steven's arrival as he entered the Big Donut, not Lars or Sadie needed to hear it, as they knew he'd be here by this time of day. Still pensive, Steven walked up toward the counter, where Lars was sitting on a seat behind it reading a magazine, while Sadie was busy restocking some of the shelves.

"Two usual, please" Steven said. Lars made no move to get up and although he didn't say anything, Sadie was already preparing Steven's order for him. As he waited, Steven leaned his arm down on the counter top and stared up to the celling, before speaking again.

"Lars, where do you see yourself in the next ten years?"

"Pff, me?" Lars said, looking up from his magazine, with a smug grin on his face. "Tell you where I'm gonna be; I'll be cruising across country, in my own sweet, hot ride, with my own rad posse of the coolest people you'd ever meet, going wherever we want, doing whatever we want, not letting nobody and nothing to tell us what to do. Plus, I'll have a hot and righteous babe right beside me"

Sadie, who was in the middle of moving a tray of fresh donuts, snorted loudly in amusement. "Oh yeah, Lars" she said, with deep sarcasm. "And a year from now I'm gonna be a pop star with my own band and everything"

Steven gasped in shock, his hands gripping the edge of the counter. "Sadie, you can sing!?" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he stared at her.

"What?" she said in surprise, blushing suddenly. "No, Steven that was a joke. I honestly don't know where I'll be in the future. For all I know, I could still be here. I mean this was supposed to be just a summer job and that was three summers ago"

"Ah, who cares about the future away" Lars said dismissively, flicking through his magazine once again, returning to his previous dull expression. "Everybody always tells you to think about your future, put a little effort in, make some plans, but by the time the future actually gets here, it's just gonna be the same old lame present. So, why bother?"

"Oh, come on" Sadie said, with an encouraging smile. "There's nothing wrong with making plans for the future. Like, where you'd like to go, or places you liked to see or people you'd want to meet. Maybe if you just took the time to really talk about it. You never know what could happen".

Sadie finished as she picked up a bag of donuts meant for Steven. She was looking at Lars, with an almost hopeful expression, but whatever she had been expecting did not come to pass, as Lars appeared just as disinterested as ever.

"What's gonna happen," he said with distain. "Is that we're both going to be serving donuts until we're both hundred years old geezer without our teeth, and Steven's going to keep coming here every day and stuff his face with them"

Sadie scowled and glared at Lars with disappointment, but not much surprise. Steven on the other hand, seemed to be greatly affected by Lars' blunt statement.

"You really think I'll be coming here for the rest of my life?" Steven said, sounding fearful. "Is eating delicious donuts the sum total of my ambitions in this world?"

"Could have fooled me" Lars muttered dryly, going back to his magazine.

"Oh no, this is terrible!" Steven said, clutching his curly black hair as he slowly became overwhelmed with despair and panic, beginning to pace up and down the counter. "I've never made any plans for my future! I should have been thinking ahead this whole time. But I never thought about it before until now, and now that I am thinking about, all I can think about is how I never thought about it before now! What's going to happen to me?! What am I going to do?! I don't even have a schedule!"

Steven slammed his face down on the counter, covering his head with his arms. One the other side of the counter, Lars gave another flip of his magazine, not so much as passing a glance at Steven, while Sadie was looking at him with more concern.

"Hey, Steven come on" she said, putting a consoling hand on his arm. "You don't think maybe, you're over reacting. A little more so than usual?"

"You're the lucky one, Sadie" Steven said, looking up at her. "You and Lars are gonna get married one day, but what does the future hold for little wayward Steven?"

"For the last time, we are not getting married!" Lars snapped indignantly, almost ripping his magazine up in frustration. Beside him, Sadie blushed again and averted her eyes up to a corner of the celling. Before anyone could respond to his comment, Lars brusquely snatched the bag of donuts out of Sadie's hand, much to her growing chagrin, and tossed them on the counter.

"Here," he said impatiently to Steven. "Just take your donuts and go complain someplace else"

Unperturbed by Lars hostile tone, Steven placed his money on the counter stop and took the bag of donuts. Just as they finished this transaction, doorbell jingled once again as another customer entered into the shop.

"Uh, Lars did you turn down the AC again?" Sadie moaned, letting out a slight shiver, rubbing her left arm. "It's freezing in here"

"I didn't touch it" Lars said defensively.

"Well it can't be broken again, we just got it fixed" Sadie shot back at him.

"Why do you always blame me for when stuff happens?"

"Because you're literally the only other one here!"

Not wanting to intrude on one of Lars and Sadie's tender moments, Steven turned away from the counter and headed for the door, pulling out one of the donuts from his bag and placing half of it in his mouth, trying to take his mind over his current predicament. He also couldn't help but note the slight drop in room temperature.

He had just made it to the door of the shop and was about to push it open, but then paused, catching something out of the corner of his eye, that made him look back over his shoulder.

Sitting alone at one of the tables near the coffee machine was a young girl, who appeared to be about Steven's age. She wore a blue dress and skirt, with long white socks and black shoes, a small, black beret sitting on top of her head; the formal attire of privileged and well-mannered schoolgirl attending a fancy prep school of some kind. Her hair was a light colour of whitish blue and hung down her back, while the front side of her face was covered by a small puff of low hanging bangs, that masked her eyes. She was sitting perfectly still on her seat, her hands neatly folded on her lap, looking dignified and serene, like she was posing for a portrait.

Taking in all these details, what really caught Steven's attention about this girl was the fact that her skin was literally blue. This was something Steven couldn't help but note as a bit odd, seeing as how he had only ever seen one other person with blue skin before. Well, not counting that one time he found his Dad choking on a hotdog.

Curious about this strange and surprising newcomer to the Big Donut, Steven walked away from the door and gingerly approached the table where the girl was sitting. If there was one thing Steven liked doing, it was meeting new people.

"Hi there" Steven greeted the girl in his usual, friendly manner. "I'm Steven"

"Hello, Steven" the girl greeted back to him, without turning to look at him; her voice was very courteous, yet at the same time, extremely flat sounding, giving away virtually no emotion.

"Are you trying to figure out what donut you want to buy?" Steven asked casually, taking a seat opposite the girl, now taking up her field of vision.

"I will be having the strawberry one" the girl answered.

"Really?" Steven said, in surprise. "I always get the strawberry one. Here, you can have my extra"

Without a moment's thought, Steven pulled out the extra donut from his own bag and placed it on the table in front of the girl, graciously offering to let her take it. He took another bite out of his own donut, while looking expectedly at the blue skinned girl, who made no move to take the donut sitting in front of her. Instead she remained as she was, keeping hands folded on her lap. She stared back in silence at Steven as he chewed nosily at his donut, her face expressionless, without so much a twinge of muscle, her eyes still hidden behind her bangs of hair. Steven swallowed and the shivered, as he felt another uncommon chill pass through the atmosphere.

"I haven't seen you here before" he said, making another friendly attempt at conversation. "Are you new in town?"

"Yes, I am" the girl replied. "I have travelled a very, very long way to be here at this exact place, this exact building, sitting in this exact chair at this exact moment in time. This is a very special place"

"Whoa, I had no idea the Big Donut was so famous" Steven said, in amazement. "I come here every day at this exact moment. But I always think of it as special"

"The winds of fate rarely impose their significance on those it traps within its pitiless, endless torrents" the girl said, somewhat coldly. "Neither enlightened nor ignorant, powerful or helpless can ever hope to grasp the infinite and encompassing void of potentiality".

"Are you ok?" Steven asked, starting to grow a little bit concerned for the girl's wellbeing. "You haven't touched your donut yet. Also, you seem a little ….blue?" He hoped he wasn't coming off as being rude.

"I was never going to eat that" the girl said, raising her left palm and gesturing at the donut.

"But I thought you said you wanted the strawberry one?" Steven said.

"No, I said I would be having that one" the girl corrected.

"Do you not like having your donut and eating it?" Steven asked.

"Whether or not I wanted this donut was of no consequence to the act of me receiving the donut" she said, both cryptic and frank. "It came to pass, just as it was meant to and just as I saw that it would. Such is fate"

Steven pursed his lips together, his eyes darting back and forth; he was beginning to feel the same uneasiness he felt whenever he was with Onion. He opened his mouth to say something but paused when he noticed that he could see his own breath.

"Brr, is it cold in here or what?" he said, half-jokingly. "Do you want maybe go outside or-?"

"We must continue sitting here" the girl said, with a small note of insistence in her voice; the first real sign of energy the girl had displayed.

"Are you sure?" Steven asked. "I just thought it might warmer outside and -".

Steven was cut off as the girl continued to speak, talking as though she had not been interrupted.

"In a few moments, Lars is going to say something regrettable to Sadie, who will respond by shoving him off the counter. In his panic to escape Sadie's wrath, Lars will trip over the misplaced wash bucket that he forgot to put away, which will then roll into the nearby coffee machine that is situated directly behind us, hitting it with enough force to launch the freshly made pot of coffee upwards to the air, where it will rain down upon the two of us, drenching us both"

Steven blinked twice in a row, hanging on every word the girl had just said. He wasn't sure which part to address first, but that last line about getting drenched in hot coffee seemed to be a cause for concern. He was about to follow up with another question, when…

"LARS, YOU MORON!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that!

With a loud grunt Sadie shoved Lars, knocking his skinny figure over the counter top with absolute ease. Lars quickly scramble to his feet again as Sadie came out from behind the stall, looking ready to strangle him.

Just as Lars tried to retreat from Sadie, the back of his legs bumped into the wash bucket that was sitting in the middle of the floor, making him tumble over again, while the bucket was sent spiralling in the direction of the coffee machine, crashing into it with a loud bang. The resulting collusion knocked the machine over and hurled the pot of coffee that was resting inside of the machine up into the air, where its contents emptied directly over Steven and the unnamed girl.

Too panicked to duck out of the way, Steven let out a yell and instinctively threw his hands up in the air, despite knowing they would do little to shield him from the spray of scalding hot coffee as it made contact with his body in one huge splash. Steven flinched, expecting the intense heat to burn across his skin, but opened his eyes in surprise when he realized the coffee had not burned him in the slightest. Quite the opposite actually; it was ice cold.

"Huh?" Steven stared at his coffee-soaked hands, trying to piece together what just happened. He looked up at the blue skinned girl, who like himself was now soaked in coffee, yet had remained perfectly still throughout the entire event without so much as a flinch, looking just as expressionless as she did before. Steven was about to her ask if she was alright, but before he had the chance, the girl stepped off her seat and calmly walked toward the door, exiting the Big Donut.

Steven watched in silenced as the girl left the shop, so stunned by what had just happened that he didn't even notice Lars desperate pleas for help after Sadie had finally caught hold of him and placed him an intense headlock.

Without wasting another moment, Steven quickly got out of his seat and bolted out the door, hoping to catch the mysterious girl before she disappeared. To his relief, he saw that she hadn't gone far yet, spotting her as she was walking down the boardwalk.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Steven called out to her, panting as he ran up alongside her. "How did you know all that was gonna happen back there?"

"The same way I know that when I don't answer your first question, it will merely peak your interest in me" the girl replied, not breaking the pace in her stride.

"So, does that mean you're not going to tell me?" Steven asked slowly. His interest had peaked.

"Not yet" she said, patiently.

Steven remained silent for a moment. "How about now?"

"Not yet"

"Nowwww?"

"Not yet"

"Well, when exactly would you tell me?" Steven moaned, rubbing his arms, his impatience being made worse by the fact it the air outside was a lot colder than he remembered.

"It will be sometime between the setting of the sun and when Mayor Dewey almost hits us with his van" the girl said, just as she rounded the nearest corner that was ahead of them.

"Mayor Dewey?" Steven said, smiling in disbelief, coming around the corner after the girl. "He can't hit us here. This is the broad walk and-ahh!"

Steven was cut off the as he came face to face with a van speeding down the boardwalk towards them, a klaxon blaring the words 'Mayor Dewey', over and over again mounted on its roof. Luckily, the van came to a halt just before hitting Steven and the blue-skinned girl, who once again, didn't show any kind of reaction to this sudden surprise.

Once the van had stopped, Mayor Dewey's head and torso popped out of the passenger window, dressed in usual baggy clothes, a megaphone in one hand and looking rather displeased.

"Hey, carwash kid, what are you doing?!" he said, speaking into his megaphone.

"I don't know" Steven admitted, still a bit frazzled by the near collision "Why are you driving down the boardwalk?"

"I'm the Mayor, I'm not going to walk anywhere" Mayor Dewey replied as though he was stating the obvious.

"Then how come you're in such a hurry?" Steven asked.

"He's late for his speech" the girl answered, much to Steven's surprise.

"I'm late for a speech" Mayor Dewey said, apparently not hearing the girl's statement, his megaphone-enhanced voice drowning hers out. "Now go get run over somewhere else with your weird girlfriend"

The van manoeuvred around Steven and the girl, driving another few meters down the boardwalk before turning into the beach, parking in middle of the sand.

"I wonder how Mayor Dewey's speech is going to go?" Steven asked, watching as a small crowd was beginning to gather around the van.

"It will go rather poorly for him but will also be very entertaining for everyone else, thanks to you Steven" the girl said, yet again answering with more insight than one might expect.

"Really? What did I do?" Steven only barely finished his question when he realized the girl had already left him yet again, walking out onto the sand to join the small crowd assembling around Mayor Dewey's fan. Steven followed after her and stood beside her at the back of the crowd. He glanced at her hesitantly, unsure if he should her something or wait for her to speak first. For now, she attention was on Mayor Dewey as he climbed, or rather attempted to climb up on top of his van.

"So, uh, what's going to happen?" Steven asked her cautiously. He felt himself give another shiver. He couldn't understand how the day could be so sunny, yet so cold.

"You put your hand to mouth, inhale some oxygen and then exhale into your palm" the girl answered.

"Why would I do that?" Steven asked, starring at his hand in confusion.

"Because it's going to seem appropriate" she replied.

Still uncertain, Steven turned his attention back to Mayor Dewey, who was now standing on top of the van as he delivered his speech to the crowd.

"Hello, Beach City, my friends!" he said amicably into his megaphone. "It's great to be here to celebrate the coming season. A warm summer breeze wafts through the air"

And there it was. The appropriate moment. Smiling in excitement, Steven put his hand over his mouth and blew as hard as he could.

_"PBHT!"_

A slight murmur of laughter briefly ripped throughout the crowd, but Mayor Dewey continued on with his speech as if he didn't even notice.

"We all look forward to the sounds of the summer season".

_"PBHT!"_

"The smells of the busy boardwalk."

_"PBHT!"_

"The hot, wet ocean wind."

_"PBHT!"_

"The time to take that pressure that's built up all year and just let it out. "

_"PBHT!"_

By this point, the crowd was now bursting with laughter. Mayor Dewey finally stopped talking when the crowd's laughter became loud enough for him to notice and began glowering at them indignantly.

Steven finally stopped in his antics as he too became overwhelmed with laughter to continue. After a while, he re-composed himself again and tuned to the blue-skinned girl, who was the only one in the crowd not laughing. "Oh, man. You can get so much mileage with that joke!"

"Yes, it certainly will be used many, many more times to come" she said, nodding knowingly.

Stifling another chuckle, Steven now stared at the unnamed girl with a sudden sense of anticipation, feeling himself grow more and more excited with every exchange they had.

"Can you tell me what's going to happen next?" he asked. He still had no idea what was actually happening, but right now he didn't really care. He just knew he wanted to hear the girl's answer, even without an explanation.

"You are about to remember something you forgot to ask me" the girl replied.

Steven paused as he considered what he might have forgotten when the answer came to him.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to ask what your name is" he said, suddenly feeling like a fool. "What is it?"

The girl turned her head in Steven's direction.

"Sapphire" she answered, with the same flat, emotionless voice. "My name is Sapphire"

"Okay. Sapphire" Steven said, nodding his head. "So, what happens after I ask you for name, Sapphire?"

"First, we go to the arcade, where you will play Skee ball, Road Killers, Whacker Man Jr., until you eventually lose all your money trying to beat the high score on Meat Beat Mania.

"Then what happens after that?!" Steven asked, going bright eyed with excitement.

"Then we will go play miniature golf. Then after that we will go bird watching, but we'll run into some trouble involving bird seed. Then we will make seashell necklaces together, followed by a quick workout on the beach. Then we go kite flying for a while, then we re-tile a roof, then we will go to see a baseball game, and afterwards, you will suggest we get Fry-bites, which will lead to a hilarious, yet extremely unsatisfying adventure with someone named Ronaldo. And then, finally, we come back here to this spot on the beach, just in time to enjoy the sunset"

Steven lower lip was quivering as he formed a wide smile, looking as though he was ready to weep with joy after hearing what he was sure would be the best day ever.

* * *

"This was the best day ever!" Steven declared, some hours later, returning to same location on the beach with Sapphire by his side, who had remained with him throughout the entire day. "I got to do so much cool stuff and it all turned out exactly the way you said it would, Sapphire. And you were right. We are just in time to see the sunset"

Steven laid down on his stomach, placing his hands on his cheeks and began kicking his feet in the air behind him, relaxing, taking the time to appreciate the sunset. No matter how many times he saw, it was always a sight to behold.

"Isn't great?" he said, in wonder.

Sapphire stood behind Steven, staring at the sunset and for the first time throughout the entire day, a faint hint of a smile crossed her face.

"Yes," she said softly. "The sunsets were always beautiful here"

"I've never had a day like today before" Steven said joyously, rolling over onto his back, still feeling giddy as he recalled the day's events, but what made them better was the fact that he knew everything that he would be doing, Sapphire providing him with a perfect play-by-play of what was set to happen.

"I knew every single thing that I was going to do before I even did it, right down to the smallest detail. Wait a second" Steven bolted upright again and turned to Sapphire with anticipation. "It's sunset now. Is this part where you tell me how you know all these things?"

Sapphire let small, girlish sounding murmur that might have been close to a genuine laugh. "Haven't you already guessed?" she asked, looking down at him with a slight smile.

"Uhhhh…." Steven scratched his head as he fumbled at putting together an answer.

Sapphire smile quickly turned back to a frown, returning to her detached demeanour. "I knew you wouldn't answer that question, but I also knew I was going to ask you". Sapphire then kneeled down on the sand opposite Steven, locking eyes with him, or rather his eyes locking onto Sapphire's puff of white hair which covered her eyes and upper half of her face.

"Steven, I possess a rare give of foresight" she said. "Unlike yourself, who only sees events as they occur, I see events before they are set to occur. I can see the path of fate as it stretches toward the horizon. I can see the future"

Steven moaned in frustration. "Darn it, that was my first guess. Should have gone with my instincts. So that explains how you knew that stuff that was going to happen. That's so cool! But then again-".

Steven abruptly got to his feet and turned his back to Sapphire. He glanced at her from over his shoulder, eyeing her with a sudden suspicion. "It does seem really convenient. Perhaps too convenient, one might say".

Steven drew closer to Sapphire, giving her an inquisitive look, in a very comical attempt to intimidate her, which was obviously was not working as Sapphire appeared just as unfazed as ever.

"How do I know you can really see the future?" he said, trying to cast as much doubt as he could muster into his voice. "This could all be some kind of elaborate hoax. Like crop circles or magician hats!"

"I did foresee that you would express scepticism of my ability," Sapphire said calmly, getting to her feet as well. "But I also saw that your suspicions will be quelled once I ask you a simple question"

"Oh, really?" Steven said, soundly royally unconvinced. "And what is that?" He crossed his arms in a show of defiance, refusing to allow himself to be swayed by anything Sapphire might say.

Sapphire looked directly at Steven with her blank stare and held his gaze with an unwavering expression. "Do I look like a liar?"

Steven's tough guy façade held up for about one second, before he slouched his shoulders forward in defeat with a heavy groan.

"No" he admitted, almost shamefully. "I think… you'd only say stuff that you'd really mean". It was true. Of all the impressions he gotten from Sapphire since they had met at the Big Donut today, one thing was clear to him; she was very candid.

"Don't worry" Sapphire said, as Steven hung his head down low. "You'll be happy in a moment, because now you believe me"

"Hey, you're right. I do!" Steven said, his mood brightening up again. "This is so great. I don't have to worry about anything ever again! You can just tell me what's going to happen. Like right now, what's going to happen next?"

Steven grabbed Sapphire by her shoulders, practically shaking her, itching with excitement to hear what she would tell him next, his mind racing at the all the possibilities that she could tell him.

However, Sapphire's face suddenly darkened, displaying an emotion with a powerful semblance to anger; the temperature in the air around them went from chilled to freezing. "You're going suggest something horrible"

"What?" Steven said, surprised by her reaction and the sudden cold snap which seemed to have been following them around all day. "No, I wasn't. I was actually just thinking that I'd take you to meet my friends, the Crystal Gems. There's Peridot, Lapis and Jasper. Come on, you'll love them"

With a happy smile, Steven took Sapphire by the hand and began to lead her toward the direction of the Temple, eager to introduce her the Crystal Gems, but after taking only a few steps forward, Steven felt an almighty force pull his arm in the opposite direction and his whole body was suddenly being dragged backwards against his will, as though a giant anchor had been attached to his hand.

The surrounding beach and boardwalk became nothing but a series blurs that zoomed past him, as Steven continue hurtling backwards, the wind whipping past his ears, his feet and legs flapping in the air, not even touching the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Steven could see Sapphire in front of him, still holding onto his hand, and running at an impossible speed, her feet kicking off the ground ten times a second.

Just when Steven thought he might throw up from the velocity, everything came to an abrupt halt. Steven felt his feet touch solid ground again, though he wasn't exactly sure if it was solid as everything around him kept spinning. Once his vision began to settle, Steven recognised his surroundings as the old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. Sapphire was standing next to him, still holding onto his hand.

"Wow, you're really fast" Steven said, shaking his head in an effort to steady himself. He was about to let go of Sapphire's hand, but then noticed something strange. He could feel an oddly shaped bump in the middle of her palm. Still holding her hand in his own, Steven turned over her palm and gasped when saw something he was definitely not expecting; a blue-coloured gemstone, embedded into Sapphire's skin.

"Wha-?" he said, thrown for a loop. He glanced back and forth between Sapphire and the gemstone in her hand. "You, you're a Gem?"

"Yes, I am" she answered,

"Oh, whoa" Steven said, now looking at Sapphire in an entirely different perspective; one that now made far more sense. "I've never met any Gem except for the Crystal Gems before. I didn't even know there were other Gems around. But, wait, where did you-"

"That's not important" Sapphire said, very abruptly. "Steven, you must listen to me, because I saw that you wouldn't interrupt once I started talking"

Steven suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth, almost involuntary.

"It is true I am a Gem. I can't tell you how I came to be here, I will tell you why. You see Steven, my powers of foresight are finite. I see only through a tiny key hole. But there is a way to widen this key hole. To let me see the paths ahead to a new future. And it is by your hands, that this will come to happen"

"My hands?" Steven said, glancing down at his open palms. Sapphire nodded impassively.

"Inside your home, there is a door, that leads to room where thousands of Gems are kept inside bubbles. Of all those thousands of Gems, there is one that is unlike any other. A single, bright ruby. That is the Gem you shall bring to me. Once I have this Gem in my possession, my powers will reach beyond their limits and I will see through the myriad of endless possibilities, to see fates that I could see before."

"Uh, ok" Steven said nervously. "I can just go ask the Crystals Gems and see if-"

"No! You can't!" Sapphire snapped, grabbing Steven by his arms. "You-!" Sapphire cut herself off, her voice almost becoming shrill sounding.

Steven was surprised by her outburst, unsure of what he had said to set Sapphire off like this. Not to mention the fact he had not once seen her get this emotional over anything throughout the entire day. Steven felt another sharp dip in the temperature around them. He also felt the touch of her hands on his arms become so cold they were actually starting to sting him. But after a moment, the freezing touch of her hands seemed to lessen before she released Steven and folded her hands down at her waist.

"You are not supposed to ask them" Sapphire said, calmly, re-composing herself. "Because that is not the future I saw. In the future I saw, you will sneak into the Temple and steal the Gem without them noticing you"

"What?!" Steven exclaimed, shocked by what she was suggesting. "I can't just sneak a Gem out of the Temple. Do you have any idea how mad the Gems will be with me?"

"No, because they won't be mad" Sapphire replied indifferently. "In my vision you enter the temple and will be undiscovered, and I'm going to show exactly how this will happen"

Before Steven could ask her what she meant by this, Sapphire took him by surprise when she put her hand on his shoulders, leaned her body forward and kissed him on his forehead. Then, in an instant, Steven saw a series of images flash through his mind, almost like memories, only these were memories that had yet to happen. He saw them and understood exactly what he had to do.

Once Sapphire detached from him, Steven shook his head, a bit dazed by the strange sensation, but quickly came back to the present moment

"But I can't just go behind their backs like that" Steven said, fearful. "I mean, that's not—I don't think that I should…"

Sapphire quickly grabbed a hold of Steven's hands, gripping them tightly. "Steven, listen to me. I sense that you conflicted. Earlier today, your thoughts were preoccupied on what may come and what may not. The vast magnitude of the unknowable was crushing you to pieces. You have questions and you seek answers? You are afraid because you don't know what tomorrow might bring"

"Y-yeah" Steven whispered softly, captivated by her words.

"Bring me what I need, and you will have your answers" Sapphire said. "We have both been guided here by fate, by laws and mechanism beyond our control or understanding. There's no need to question it"

"But I just don't really feel right about it" Steven said, guiltily. "I'm not really sure if I want to do this"

"Steven, I am here, because I have seen every step that we were meant to take today. From the moment you gave me your donut, to when we watched the sunset together. I have played these events over in my mind a thousand times. This is the path that fate has laid out for us"

Steven still appeared unconvinced, rubbing the back of his neck. Part of him wanted to help Sapphire, mainly out of sheer empathy, but at the same time nothing about this situation felt right to him. She was basically asking to break into the Temple and steal something for her. He couldn't even begin to count the number of rules he'd be breaking. Despite this, he didn't nesscessarily want to deny Sapphire's request either if it meant she could tell more about his future. He wished that the Crystal Gems or his Dad or Connie were here. They'd be able to tell him what to do.

Sapphire was quick to notice Steven's hesitance and choose to capitalise on it

"Do you understand what fate is, Steven?" she asked.

"Not really" he admitted, shaking his head.

"Fate is something that comes to be pass because it's meant to be. It's like…. a promise. A promise that can never be broken, even in a thousand years. The two of us meeting, being here, this was promise we made without even knowing it

"So, the two of us becoming friends was a promise?" Steven said, in wonder, slowly beginning to understand.

"Y-yes" Sapphire said, a bit surprised by his answer, but quickly recovered. "I am asking you to help me keep a promise. It's a promise that was made so long ago and I have wished so, so badly that it would true, that I…I…"

Sapphire voice began to crack, her body now trembling uncontrollably. Steven instinctively reached to touch her shoulder to comfort her but had to pull his hand away when he felt a sudden cold snap on his palm when he touched her. He then looked around the warehouse and to surprise saw that it had actually begun to snow, despite the impossibility of the weather. Steven then looked downward at Sapphire's feet; shards of icicles had begun to form where she was standing.

"Please…". Sapphire clasped her hands together, almost in a pray like fashion. She wasn't asking him anymore. She was begging.

"Please, bring me what I need to become whole again."

Steven stared at Sapphire in surprise. He had known her for less than a day, but this was the most emotiona he had seen her display yet. There was such a desperation in her voice, such vulnerability in her composure. She had acted so detached and controlled at all times, that anyone would assume she didn't care about anything. But right now, Steven could see what she was asking from him, what she wanted him to do for her, it must truly have meant everything to her.

Knowing what he had to do, Steven grabbed hold of Sapphire's hand and squeezed them as tight as he could, making her cease her trembling.

"Okay, I'll help you" Steven said, affirming his resolve. "Because I promise!"

Sapphire stared at Steven, her mouth hanging open; a large tear drop trailed down the middle of her face. She quickly wiped it away and took a breath to steady.

"Thank you, Steven" she said, reserved, yet nonetheless grateful.

Steven let out go of Sapphire's hands and tucked his arms behind his back, averting his eyes from her with a bashful expression.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, I was just thinking that, um-". Steven cleared his throat and pulled out his phone, holding up in the air, with a shy smile.

"Before I go, can I take a selfie with you? I mean, I didn't see that happening in the vision you gave me, but I was thinking that, if us becoming friends was supposed to happen, then wouldn't we also take a selfie to commemorate that?"

"Well, uh…." Sapphire paused for a very long moment; for once she seemed to be at a loss for words. Steven stared at her with hopeful eyes, his expression sincere and guileless.

"Y-yes" she finally said, with the first trace of hesitancy in her voice. "Yes. You, uh, you do take a selfie with me. That's…what I saw"

Giggling happily, Steven put his arm around Sapphire's shoulder, pushing his cheek up against hers, putting on huge smile as he held his phone out in front of them, ready to take the picture, but stopped when he noticed that Sapphire wasn't smiling.

Thinking that all she needed was a little nudge, Steven placed the of his finger on her left cheek and lightly pulled it upward, giving Sapphire a lopsided looking smile. But this proved to be enough incentive for Sapphire to pull back her lips and smile for the camera as Steven took their picture.

* * *

Not long after leaving Sapphire, Steven had returned home and was now standing outside the front door of the Beach House, staring through the glass panels of the door; from here he could the entrance to the Temple, just behind the Warp Pad. He gulped slightly, mentality preparing himself for what he was about to do, but first the thing he knew was that he had to wait. He remembered the vision that Sapphire gave him. Once he reached the front door, he had to wait before going in.

Just then, Steven heard a loud squawking noise from behind. He turned his head to see a seagull land on the railing of the balcony, briefly peaking at its wing with its beak. That was Steven's cue.

Taking a deep breath, Steven opened the door and took exactly six steps forward, then stopping in the exact center of the house, the perfect distance between the couch and kitchen counter. Sweat was already forming on his brow, as he repeatedly tried to reassurance himself this would work.

Steven glanced from one side of the room to the other. Lion was taking a nap on the floor, pressed up against the side of the couch, a small book lying opened on the armrest.

Lapis was standing in the kitchen, in front of the cooker, humming a slight tune while in process of making herself a pot of tea. Once the kettle had boiled, she lifted it off the stove and set it down on the kitchen counter next a cup, hardly even noticing Steven as he remained where he was, glued to the one spot. With a casual wave of her finger, Lapis summoned the tea from within the kettle and poured into the cup, while she opened the fridge get a fresh carton of milk.

Steven gulped again. There was no one else in the house, just like it had been in his vision. Now he had to hope everything would pan out as he had seen. He nervously turned his head back to Lion, who was still asleep. Steven was beginning to fear his vision was about to be proven wrong, when to his relief, Lion finally woke from his nap, yawning loudly and stretching himself out on the floor. Steven's eyes snapped onto the book on the armrest of the couch.

Once he was done stretching, Lion lumbered his way around the couch and spotting the book. He sniffed at it curiously before picking it up in his mouth and began to gnaw away at it, apparently mistaking for a chew toy. Steven said nothing and turned back to Lapis in anticipation. She was just about finished preparing her cup of tea when she saw Lion tearing away at the book.

"Lion, no!" she cried angrily. "That's mine! Put it down!"

Lapis leapt over to the other side of the room and grabbed hold of her book, trying to pull the book out of Lion's mouth, but pink mammel wasn't letting it go without a fight.

Steven briefly watched as the two of them began to play tug of war over the book, before turning his attention to Warp Pad and no sooner than had did, it activated, transporting six of Peridot's flask robonoids into the room in a flash of light.

The robonoids scurried off the Warp Pad in a single file, walking toward the Temple door. The green gemstone symbol on the archway lit up and the doorway to Peridot's room materialised.

With Lapis too busy dealing with Lion, she didn't see Steven as he ran up behind the flask robonoids and quickly slipped through the Temple door, seconds before it closed right behind him. With an immense sigh of relief, Steven slummed his back against the now closed doorway.

He turned his head upwards to see the robonoids as they climbed onto a nearby circular platform which rose up towards the celling and into a giant floating sphere, that Steven recognised as Peridot's own private observatory and lab. Not waiting for Peridot to realize he was here, Steven slipped into a nearby crevice which brought him to another passageway leading further into the Temple. He then saw what he was already expecting to see; one of the many vein-like apparatus embedded into the Temple walls that lead down the passageway. Steven didn't have an exact layout of the Temple, but he knew that if he followed the veins, they would eventually lead him to the Burning Room where the bubble Gems were being kept, just like it happened in the vison Sapphire gave him.

Steven knew that the Gems never let him go into the Temple unsupervised and the only other way he could get in was through the door leading into Rose's room, but after the last the catastrophe he had when he went in there, Steven knew it was best not to risk going in again. Even if he had, there was no way to through the Temple door without Lapis seeing him.

So far, everything had gone exactly as Sapphire had shown him. Lapis making tea, Lion eating her book, the robonoids opening the door for him. Having this knowledge beforehand made Steven feel safe. He'd hate to think of what would happen if he tried doing without this kind of inside information. He felt like he was playing video game after having ready memorised all the levels and knowing exactly how to win. All he had to do was keep following the vision he had seen, and he knew he wouldn't be caught. This knowledge was a much-needed comfort for Steven as he had been experiencing this horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach ever since he entered the Temple.

After some trekking, Steven finally found his way to the Burning Room. He walked into the center of the room, next to the pool of lava and turned his head up to see the dozens upon dozens bubbled Gems hovering in the air, covering the entire celling like balloons at a birthday party.

Sapphire said she needed a red ruby Gem inside an orange bubble, but there were so many bubbles here. Steven had never asked the Crystal Gems how many there were or ever tried to count them, as he was not allowed into be in here. Steven shivered, the unpleasant feeling in his stomach swelling up again. He tried to suppress it and focused on Sapphire's vision, the details already becoming fuzzy in his. But he soon remembered what he had seen and where he was supposed to go next.

He turned to the nearest vein on the wall to the far right and wrapped his arms around it, shimming his way upwards at quick, yet careful space. After he had almost reached the celling, Steven saw it; the red Gem inside the orange bubble floating just inches away from him. Again just like his vision.

Holding on to the vein tightly, he reached out for the bubble with his free hand and felt his fingers wrap around it. Careful not to burst by accident, Steven pulled the bubble closer and secured it in arm.

Steven was beyond ecstatic. He had done it. He had the Gem. It had all worked out, exactly as Sapphire said it would. Now he understood; this was all meant to happen. He was meant to do this. He was meant to succeed, and he was meant to bring this Gem back to Sapphire. This was his fate.

But that if that was true, was he also meant to keep having this terrible feeling of guilt forever?

Steven groaned and leaned his head down on the vein, with a heavy frown. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get over the fact that he was breaking a serious rule, that he was going behind the backs of Jasper, Peridot and Lapis. He was going against everything he had ever been taught. The belief that this was something he had to do, didn't mitigate the sense of guilt he was feeling. If anything, it only made him feel worse. He felt like he just using it an excuse to get out of his own responsibility.

"Should I really have done this?" Steven whispered, already second-guessing himself. "Maybe-"

Steven was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he didn't notice that his grip on the vein had begun to slack and he felt his foot slip, causing him to fall. Yelling, Steven landed on the stone floor, next to the pool of lava, with a hard thud. Groaning, he pushed himself, winching from the pain in his back. It took a second for him to realize that he had lost the bubble during the fall.

The bubble had landed on the ground a good ten feet away from him on the other side of the room and popped open, the ruby Gem dropping to the floor. In a panic, Steven quickly crawled on his hands and knees, trying to reach the Gem, hoping bubble it again before it was too late and praying that he knew how to do it again. His hand was inches away from touching it when an aura of crimson light erupted from the Gem.

Now it was too late. Petrified, Steven could only watch helplessly, his mouth hanging open, as the ruby Gem rose up into the air and began to reform.


	5. Fire Gem

Steven wanted to close his eyes, hoping maybe he could pretend this was all a really bad dream. But even he had to admit that didn't seem very practical. Instead, he could only watch in horror as the ruby Gem remained suspended in mid-air, glowing brightly as a mass of solid light came seeping out from within the Gem, forming into the shape of a body.

Steven briefly thought about running or trying to hide somewhere before the Gem finished forming, but there was no time and he was already paralyzed by shock. How could this have happened? This wasn't the future he had seen when Sapphire temporally transferred her power to him. In his vision, Steven had seen himself taking the bubbled Gem, sneaking out from the Temple before the Crystal gems would notice and bringing it back to Sapphire. But now everything had been thrown in disarray. Now he had no idea what was going to happen. How could one little slip of his foot have caused everything to go so horribly wrong?

But in another moment or so, those thoughts would no longer matter. Steven braced himself, expecting to come face to face with huge, terrifying Gem monstrosity. In one final pulse of light, the ruby Gem had finalized its true form and landed on the floor of the Burning Room, throwing back its head and letting out a mighty roar.

"ARRHHHH!"

Steven's eyes needed a second to adjust probably after the light has dissipated, but once he finally laid eyes on the Gem, he briefly thought there was something wrong with his vision.

Rather than transforming into some kind of giant, fearsome and ferocious beast, the ruby Gem had formed into the body of a diminutive little figure, just slightly taller than Steven himself. The Gem's skin was bright red and spotted a large bushel of reddish-brown hair on its head, in the shape of a square, with a red bandana tied around the top of it. Its clothing was nothing but a black pair of shorts, boots and maroon-tank top. And despite its small stature, the Gem's body appeared to be surprisingly bulky, almost beefy looking, particularly around the arms and legs.

When the ruby Gem appeared in the room, the first thing it did was throw it's fists up into the air, as if ready for a fight, but its intense and angry expression quickly turned to confusion. The Gem had seemed to realize something was not right with its present situation and was fidgetily glancing around the Burning Room, looking much like an animal thrown into some unknown environment, snorting and grunting incomprehensibly in every direction.

"What the heck is this?!" the Gem finally cried out, with a gruff sounding voice, yet underneath it there seemed to be slight feminine quality to it.

The Gem then took notice of Steven, who still sitting on his knees and staring back at the little Gem, with wide eyes; he couldn't help but think she was a little bit adorable. He knew to refer to the Gem as a she, remembering Peridot once saying something about how all Gems use female pronouns as a default.

Steven was on the verge of speaking when the red Gem fired a barrage of questions at him, becoming increasingly flustered with each one.

"Where am I? Who are you? What is this place? What's your name? Why aren't you answering my questions?!"

"Um, hi" Steven said, nervous, yet surprisingly, he still felt as though he should make a good first impression. "You're inside the Temple. I'm Steven. This is the Temple. And my name's Steven".

"But why am I here?" the Gem growled, stomping her foot on the floor in frustration. "I have to get back to Galaxy Warp!"

"The Galaxy Warp?" Steven repeated, with some surprise, consciously pulling at the collar of his shirt. Maybe it was just the sudden excitement in the air, but Steven now felt that the room had become much warmer for some reason. "Um, sorry, but it's kinda broken"

"B-b-b-broken?" the Gem spluttered incredulously; for a moment, Steven swore he could see a faint trace of stream erupting from top of her head. "What the heck is it doing broken?"

"Well, uh you see-"

But the Gem was no longer listening to Steven, having already lost interest in him. She was now back to surveying the Burning Room, perhaps looking for a way out, when she glanced up toward the celling and froze once she had spotted bubbled Gems floating above their heads, her eyes going wide with terror.

"I've been captured!" she said, with a gasp. She then turned back to Steven, throwing an angry finger at him. "Release me now!"

"But you're already free" Steven said, feebly.

"Don't confuse me!" the Gem replied, spluttering again, her face crunching up in rage as though she was on the verge of losing whatever sense of control she had. Beside them, the pool of lava began to bubble violently, with droplets of red-hot liquid starting to spray onto the floor. Steven only narrowly avoided getting struck by some of the spray as it sizzled on the stone floor, scrambling back to his feet again.

"Ah, ok, ok, ok!" he said, quickly. "Look, let's just take a second to calm down and we can work this whole thing out in a nice, calm manner". Steven raised his hands in a peaceful gesture as he slowly began to approach the little red Gem, who was eyeing him warily.

"How about we introduce ourselves? What's your name?" Steven extended his hand out. The red Gem, hesitantly lifted up her left hand, revealing to the Steven her gemstone in the center of her palm, before clasping her hand tightly around Steven's with a very firm grip,

"Ruby" the Gem replied in a low grunt

"Hi, Ruby" Steven replied, cordially. "My name is Steven Universe and I'm one of the Crystal Gems and we-"

Without warning, the pool of lava suddenly erupted again, this time with the force of a geyser, releasing a fiery column of molten liquid up toward the celling, that just barely missed hitting any of the other bubbled Gems. Steven immediately backed away from Ruby as he felt an intense wave of heat radiating from around her body.

"The Crystal GEMS!?" Ruby bellowed, her eyes going mad with an unyielding fury. Raising her left arm in the air, Ruby clenched her fist and in another flash of light, a crimson gauntlet materialised around her fist and wrist. With another yell, she pulled her gauntlet back and swung it down hard at Steven, with the intent to knock his head off.

Steven let out a terrified scream, barely ducking out of the way of Ruby's wild haymaker attack. He instinctively turned on his heel and tried to run away, but Ruby soon chased after him, the two of them quickly doing at least half a dozen laps around the pool of lava which was still simmering with an intense heat.

"Ok, shield, shield, shield!" Steven said, pulling up his shirt to expose his gemstone, hoping that might make the process easier. "Gotta make a shield!"

Steven shut his eyes and concentrated with all his might, trying to summon his mother's signature weapon, but he had never really gotten the hang of it after the first time. He was so preoccupied with trying to draw out his shield, that he failed to keep track of where he was going and ran face first into the nearest wall. By the time Steven got his bearings again, Ruby had already caught up to him.

"Aha!" she said triumphantly. "Cornered!

Ruby pulled back her gauntlet, ready to strike Steven down. Despite how small she was, Steven knew for certain that he that Gems were naturally stronger than most humans, and it's unlikely he would be able to withstand a single punch from her. He couldn't dodge it either. Somehow or another, he had to block the attack. Block it, block it and-

In another flash of light, a circular pink shield with a rose symbol projected itself out from Steven's belly button and attached itself to Steven's arm at the perfect second to absorb Ruby's gauntlet, both weapons colliding in a dazzling clash of red and pink.

Steven's face lit once she saw his mother's around his arm, protecting him from harm, feeling both grateful and pleased with himself that he was able to summon it.

Ruby's arm bounced off the shield, its strength having trumped her attack. But that didn't deter her in the slightest. With another battle cry, Ruby began to repeatedly smash her gauntlet against Steven's shield, like a mad wood cutter chopping their way through a thick a tree trunk.

"Wait, please, just stop for a second!" Steven cried desperately, trying to raise his voice over the sound of her banging, already beginning to feel his arm stain under the endless blows. "I want to help you! I was sent here to get you. I was sent by Sapphire!"

The instant that final word came out of Steven's mouth, Ruby froze on the spot, her gauntlet still poised in mid-strike. Every trace of her anger and aggression had vanished. The pool of lava was no longer bubbling violently. Instead it appeared as flat and calm as a lake of fresh spring water.

"Sapphire?" Ruby whispered softly, as though no other word in existence was as precious to her.

"I'm a friend of Sapphire" Steven continued. "She sent me to get you"

"Liar!" Ruby screamed, suddenly snarling again, pulling her gauntlet back for another strike.

"No, no, wait, I have proof!" Steven said, quickly reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. "Here, see!"

Steven opened his phone and navigated through his folder inventory until he found the picture he had taken earlier of Sapphire and himself, holding it up for Ruby to view through the transparent surface of Steven's shield.

Ruby went completely slacked jawed, her eyes focused on nothing but the small electronic photo in front of her. She lowered her left arm just as her gauntlet vanished into a light; violence now appeared to be the absolute last thing on her mind.

Seeing that Ruby was now in a relatively calm state, Steven deactivated his shield, although he wasn't sure if he had done it consciously or not.

"See, this is me and Sapphire" he said gently, careful not to try and trigger another reaction out of Ruby. "We're friends". Steven handed Ruby the phone, allowing her to get a better look at the picture.

"Sapphire?" Ruby whispered, running her fingers across the screen, over Sapphire's face. "It's really her…"

"She and I just met today, but she told me-"

"Sapphire!" Ruby screamed into the phone. "How'd you get in there?! Don't worry, I'll get you out!" Ruby gripped the edges of the phone, trying to pry open and free what she believed to be the trapped Sapphire.

"No, wait, stop!" Steven said, pulling the phone out of Ruby's hands before she could damage it. "This isn't really her, it's just a picture I took"

"Then where is the real Sapphire?!" Ruby demanded impatiently, throwing her arms up at Steven, standing almost nose to nose with him.

"Please, calm down" Steven said, already beginning to lose his nerve again. "I can take you to Sapphire. She's just outside"

"Outside? Outside where? Where? Where!?" Ruby roughly seized Steven by the arms and furiously began to shake him. Beside them, the pool of lava was once again rippling with energy.

"She's waiting for me to bring you to her" Steven stuttered, struggling to speak as his head was bobbing back and forth helplessly. "That's why I'm here".

Ruby didn't appear to have heard Steven, as she continued to throttle him, too caught up in her own impatience to think rationally.

At the rate she was going, it was only a matter of time before she did something to alert the Crystal Gems to her presence in the Temple. Steven realized he would have to do something to get Ruby under control, otherwise everything would be ruined.

Deciding it was time to put his foot down, Steven reached up and grabbed a hold of Ruby's forearms, forcing her to stop shaking him. Pulling himself free of her grip, Steven cleared his throat, giving Ruby a sharp and stern look, trying his best to appear authoritative.

"Now I need you listen to me very carefully, ok?" he said, very serious.

Ruby held Steven's gaze for a moment. Perhaps she was little taken back by his sudden display of confidence, but she slowly lowered her hands to her sides and after another pause, she nodded at Steven in confirmation.

"I'll take you to meet Sapphire, but no matter what happens, we can't be seen" Steven said, putting emphasis on the last part. "If we are, then we're both going to be a lot of trouble. Understand?"

"Yes" Ruby said, nodding again, perfectly calm and serious.

Steven let out a sigh of relief, releasing the tension he felt in his stomach, grateful that he they were finally making some progress, already beginning to relax himself again.

"Good." Allowing himself a smile, Steven calmly took hold of Ruby's left hand. "Now all you have to do is follow me and keep quiet, and you'll see Sapphire in no-"

"SAPPHIRE! I'm coming for ya!"

Charging ahead like a mad bull, Ruby rushed past Steven in the blink of eye, pulling her hand free from his own with such force that Steven's arm was almost yanked from its socket as he tried to hold on to her, his body pulled down to the ground.

"Wait, come back!" Steven called out as Ruby disappeared down into an open passageway. Beginning to panic again, Steven quickly sprang to his feet and chased after Ruby, hoping to catch to her before she ran into one of the Crystal Gems. He didn't know what would be worse; the fact he would let Sapphire down or how mad the Crystal Gems were going to be with him.

Steven sped down the dark passageway, which soon diverged into a number of separate tunnels that went off it at least a dozen directions. Ruby could have gone down any one of them and left no trail of any kind that Steven could see. But then Steven had another idea.

He approached one of the tunnels and raised his hand up in the air, holding his palm out in front of the entrance, feeling a faint draft passing through his fingers. Steven then moved slowly up along the wall of tunnels, stopping at each one while keeping his open palm raised up, until he found one tunnel where the air felt slightly warmer than it been for all the others. Deciding that the was the best bet, Steven entered into his chosen tunnel, running as fast as he could.

The further in he went down into this particular tunnel, the more Steven felt sure this was the direction Ruby had gone, given the still lingering residual heat she had left behind in her wake.

As he neared the end of the tunnel, Steven started to hear something; heavy, booming, drum music echoing off the walls. Exiting from the tunnel, Steven found himself standing at the edge of a high cliff, overlooking what appeared to be a huge red, rocky valley, which he soon recognised as Jasper's room.

And sure enough, he spotted Jasper herself down at the base of the cliff, standing in the middle of a small ring. In front her was rectangular slab of stone, etched with unreadable runes and suspended a few feet off the ground by a thick metal chain that stretched all the way up to the ceiling of the room.

Her fists raised in a fighting stance, Jasper was punching away at the slab with a series of quick jabs, each one strong enough to knock the slab several feet back, the runes on the side of the stone glowing brightly up with each blow.

On a small, rocky perch next to the ring was a large boombox, blasting out what sounded like every heavy metal fan's dream composition piece multiplied by a thousand. After hitting the slab with a swift uppercut, Jasper moved away from it and walked over to her boombox, swapping out the CD for another.

For a moment Steven was relieved, as it looked like Jasper hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. But that relief soon disappeared, when he saw Ruby sneaking out from behind some rocks and walking into the ring while Jasper's back was still turned. Ruby jumped on top of the slab and then latched onto the metal chain holding it place, beginning to shimmy her way toward the ceiling of the room.

Steven had no idea how she got down there or what she was trying to do, but it looked as though Ruby must have thought there was a way out near the roof of the Jasper's room.

After adjusting her music, Jasper returned to the slab and resumed her punching, too engrossed with what she with the intensity of her training to notice Ruby climbing up the chain over her head, although Ruby now appeared to be having more difficulty holding on as the chain swung and back forth with Jasper's punches.

Knowing that he to get to Ruby out of here before Jasper saw, Steven waited until the chain swung close enough to the cliff he was standing on and then leapt off the edge, wrapping his arms and legs around the chain right above Ruby, effectively blocking her path, much to her surprise and chagrin.

Steven quickly put his finger to his lips, beckoning her to be quiet. Now all he had to was get her off the chain and out of Jasper's room. Steven took one look around him and he very soon realized that he may not have thought this part through very well, seeing as there was no where from them to go, up or down.

Before Steven could figure something out, Ruby was already starting to pull at his ankle in an attempt to throw him off the chain, but Steven manged to hold, despite the nausea he was beginning to feel due to the constant swinging of the chain.

Ruby growled, quickly becoming frustrated yet again. As her anger began to rise, the metal chain she was holding onto was turning bright red, a brilliant streak of crimson heat that slowly travelled up and down the length of the chain.

Steven soon felt his own hands start to blister with the abrupt heat and was forced to release them, tucking them both into his mouth in an effort to cool them. With his grip now lost, Steven felt his legs as they slipped off the chain and he fell backwards.

Fortunately, he landed on top of Ruby who still directly below him, while managing wrap his arms around her neck, holding on as tightly as he could to keep himself from falling further. Practically fuming, Ruby began to thrash around, trying throw Steven off her body, the metal chain becoming hotter and redder by the second. Suddenly, they both simultaneously stopped their bickering when they noticed something strange; the chain had stopped swinging.

Surprised, they looked downwards and saw Jasper taking up a stance in front of the now stationary slab, her crash helmet visible on her brow. In one smooth motion, tucked her head under her legs, her white hair transforming her entire body into a spinning buzz saw. Steven tightened his hold on Ruby and braced himself, knowing exactly what was coming next.

Launching herself like a cannon, Jasper smashed into the slab with a thunderous impact, knocking it clean upwards like a wrecking ball, so far and so high that the chain went taunt, the still glowing red section of metal that Ruby had inadvertently heated stretching itself like an elastic until it snapped clean in half.

Without its anchor, the slab went flying into the air, with Ruby and Steven trailing behind it, holding onto the remaining part of the chain for dear life.

The sound of Jasper's boombox soon faded out as they flew out from rocky valley that was her room and deeper into the Temple, the wind whipping past them until finally they came to a stop when the slab crashed into a solid rock formation, leaving Steven and Ruby to tangle underneath it, still holding onto the chain.

For a moment, the Gem and Gem-human each breathed sigh of relief, until they heard another loud snap as the rest of the chain that they were holding onto broke off the slab. They fell downwards with a scream, but not for very long

Only a few feet below them, they landed on a solid, green coloured barrier, made of some kind of glass.

With his face mushed into the transparent surface, Steven could make out what appeared to be diamond shaped room, with many strange, polygonal shaped devices and instruments standing perched on numerous hexadecimal shaped pedestals; translucent computer monitors were hovering up around the walls and close to the celling, suspended by absolutely nothing; metal cylinders were shooting up out of the floor and embedded into the walls like roots of a tree.

Moving his eyes up to the topmost corner of the room, Steven could make out the distinctive shape of Peridot, diligently working away at an oval shaped computer terminal, numerous flask robonoids scurrying about at her feet.

Pulling his face up from the glass, Steven soon realized where they had landed; right on top of Peridot's room and observatory. It looked as though she had noticed Steven or Ruby presence just yet.

"Phew, that was close" Steven said casually to Ruby, needing the moment to let his heart rate return to normal. "Okay, now we just need to keep calm and think of a plan to-no, no wait!"

But it was too late. In the time that Steven had begun talking, Ruby had already summoned her gauntlet once again and without a moment's pause to listen to Steven's warning, she punched the glass barrier that was in her way, shattering it to pieces and dropping the two of them into Peridot's observatory.

Steven's body hit the lime green floor with a solid thud. Ruby landed next to him, though a little less gracefully; upside down and directly on top of her own head.

Fortunately for Steven, the drop hadn't been that high. Even more so was the fact that they he had managed to avoid landing on any of the broken glass, but their noisy entrance did not go unnoticed.

"Huh? What was that?"

Steven heard the clanking of Peridot's feet leaving her computer terminal from the other side of the room and coming towards them.

Before she could do any more damaged, Steven hurriedly slapped his hand over Ruby's mouth just as she was about to shout again and dragged her around behind one of the nearest pedestals. Keeping a firm hold on Ruby, her angry shouts muffled by his hand, Steven peered around the pedestal, watching as Peridot came into his line of sight. She stopped at the area when they had landed, picking one of the broken pieces of glass shards to examine it.

Peridot then turned her head up toward and spotted the gaping hole in her observatory ceiling and beyond that, she could see the rectangular slab sticking out from the roof of the cavern surrounding her room.

"Jasper!" she growled angrily, narrowing her eyes. Incensed at the sudden disruption, Peridot marched over to a circular platform etched into the floor, which lit up the moment she stepped foot on it. The platform sunk into the floor, lowering Peridot out of the observatory and into the Temple, no doubt to find and reprimand Jasper.

Seeing that they were in the clear yet again, Steven released Ruby and slumped back against the computer console. He wasn't sure how many more close calls he could take.

The moment Steven let go of her, Ruby rushed over to the elevator platform as it returned to the floor and frantically began to jump up and down on its surface, trying to get it to move again, but the platform remained stationary.

"Come on! Move already" Ruby said impatiently, no idea what she could possibly be doing wrong.

Groaning with some impatient, Steven was about to stand up, but then glanced down and noticed one of Peridot's robonoids crawling over his legs. Getting another idea, Steven picked up the spider-like robot and brought it over to the elevator platform next to Ruby. He placed the robonoid down on the surface of the platform; it activated at once, just as it had done for Peridot, lowering Steven and Ruby out of floating observatory and down into the open cave.

As he and Ruby descended into the cave surrounding Peridot's room, Steven could see the Temple doorway from where he had entered just ahead of them.

"This way" Steven said to Ruby, hopping off the platform once it hit the ground. "This the door that will take us out"

Keeping a very firm grip on Ruby's hand this time, Steven lead her to the doorway, which opened at Steven's presence. Thinking that they were safe, Steven was about to step across the threshold of the doorway and into his house, but then caught a flash of something blue on the other side of the door and instantly pushed Ruby back into the Temple, the doorway closing again.

"What the heck are you doing?" Ruby snapped impatiently. "You said that was the way out!"

"Lapis is out there. I don't think she saw us, but there's no way we can sneak past her" Steven explained, keeping his eyes on the door, thinking that Lapis could come through any second. "She was supposed to be gone when I came back out, but we must have wasted too much time"

"I don't care who is out there!" Ruby said. "Unless it's Sapphire, then I'm gonna punch my way straight through it". She about to charge at the door, but Steven stepped in front of her, throwing his arms out wide to block her path.

"Stop! Can you please just stop moving for even one second!?" Steven exclaimed, briefly releasing some of his pent-up frustration. He groaned heavily. "What is the matter with you? Can't you sit still long enough for me to come up with a plan? You can't keep rushing into things without thinking"

"The only thing I'm thinking about is Sapphire!" Ruby snapped. "And I don't care how it happens, so long as I see her again! I can't be worrying about plans. When you want something, you just go and make it happen! Just-just-just, like, like bam! And-and then pow! Then it's like baboom and, and…."

Ruby trailed off as she began to pace back and forth, randomly punching and kicking the air while making odd, incomprehensible exclamations to emphases her point, whatever that happened to be.

Steven felt sudden urge to rip his own hair out, which he quickly had to suppress. He had never met anyone who that was so rash and impulsive all the time. Ruby was much like a rocket; point her in any direction and she would go flying with no sign of stopping or altering course. Not that Steven would ever criticize her over her own personality, but at the present moment, she was being extremely inconvenient.

"We have to think of some way of getting past Lapis" Steven said, trying to focus his thoughts on a practical solution. Something then came to his mind.

"Hey, you shapeshift right?" he asked, looking at Ruby

"Yeah" Ruby replied offhandedly. "So?"

"So, all you have to do is shapeshift into something that won't attract too much attention" Steven said, smiling eagerly. "Like a hat!"

"What's a hat?" Ruby said, looking utterly confused.

Steven's smile faded very quickly. "Or how about a tennis racket? Or, maybe, you know, an umbrella? Or a flashlight? A skateboard? A backpack?" His sense of hope was getting weaker with each suggestion.

Ruby blinked once, still drawing a total blank. Steven groaned again, until another idea popped into his head.

"Wait, I got it. If you turned back into a gem, I could hide you in my pocket and Lapis won't see you"

"But then I'll be stuck as a gem!" Ruby growled incredulously. "Last time that happened, I got stuck in a bubble!"

"That won't happen this time, I promise" Steven said, putting his hands up in a reassuring gesture. "You gotta trust me on this, ok?

"Trust you!?" Ruby spat furiously. She drew closer to Steven and jabbed her index finger into his chest, somewhat painfully. "If you're really a Crystal Gem, then the absolute last thing I should do is trust you! Now get out of my way!"

Ruby once again tried to force her way past Steven and take another run at the door, but this time, Steven would not allow her to go, firmly standing his ground, his arms spread out wide, refusing to budge. Ruby face contorted in an expression of inexpressible anger, steam raising up from her back as she appeared ready to explode. Down at her side, her red gauntlet materialised on her wrist, as though she was preparing to knock Steven out of her way if she had to.

"I promised Sapphire I'd bring you to her" Steven said, unintimidated by Ruby's show of hostility. "And that's what fate is, isn't it? A promise that you always keep!"

Ruby suddenly balked, her anger abruptly subsiding, much like it had done back in the Burning Room. She stared hard at Steven, as if taking the chance to truly look him over for the first time. She looked down to the floor, grimacing with a reluctance; it appeared as though she was trying to make up her mind about something.

Eventually, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fully composing herself, displaying the greatest sense of self-control she had since she was freed from her bubble.

"You really promise?" she said, quietly. She glanced up from the floor, waiting to see Steven's reaction.

"I do" Steven replied without a moment of hesitation or doubt. "I promise I'll keep you safe until you get to Sapphire"

That was all Ruby needed to hear. She closed her eyes again and lowered her head in a kind of respectful nod.

"Ok" she said, accepting her fate, for better or worse. "Then I'll see her on the other side"

Steven smiled, feeling grateful that Ruby decided to trust him. "Thank you. Now we just have to think of making you-"

"ARGH!" Without any hesitation and with unflinching accuracy, Ruby punched herself right in the face with her own gauntlet as hard she possibly could and then disappeared in a puff of red smoke, reverting back to nothing but her red gem, which dropped down to the ground.

Surprised, but nonetheless relieved, Steven picked up the now conveniently sized Ruby and carefully placed her into his pocket. That was one problem solved. Now all he needed was to make it another ten yards and he would be home free. With a nervous gulp, Steven turned back to the Temple door and composed himself as best could.

Steven walked as fast as could, short of breaking into a run, keeping his eyes firmly on the door and nothing else. He was so close, he could almost taste the ocean air. He was just about to make past Lapis, when she finally turned around and took notice of him for the first time.

"Hi, Steven" she said, happily. Steven slammed on his breaks so hard he might have had whiplash, stopping in the middle of the living area, halfway to the front door. He slowly turned his head to face Lapis, who smiling back at him.

"I haven't seen you all day. Where have you been?" she asked amicably.

"Some….where" Steven answered, trying with all his might to keep his voice from cracking, without much success. He cleared his throat and quickly tried to change the topic, afraid that his silence would make him look less conspicuously.

"What have you been doing?" he asked, hoping he could come off sounding like his typical, non-suspicious self.

"I was trying to read my new volume of Pretty Hair Stylist, but then Lion got a hold of it". Lapis cast a dark glance over to Lion, who was sleeping blissfully in the corner. "I was pretty mad at him. But then I decided I could just another book. So, I flew halfway around the world to the main distributor and got new a brand new one."

Lapis held up the colourful comic, which was written in distinctively non-English kanji. Steven stared at the comic, unsure of what to say, but Lapis merely shrugged.

"I know I can't read it, but I still don't want Lion to have it" she said, dryly.

"Oh, that Lion of mine!" Steven said, chuckling a bit too loudly. "Whoo, I'm just soooo shocked, I think I'll go out and get some fresh head to clear my air".

Lapis eyed Steven curiously, noting the unusual tension around him, as opposed to his normal, more relaxed state. Steven smiled back at her with a wide grin, slowly side stepping around her and moving closer towards the door.

"Your silence only further compounds your guilt, Jasper!"

Steven froze up again, his eyes focusing back on the Temple door as it opened up again, with Jasper striding out of it, followed closely behind by Peridot, who was pointing an accusing finger at her fellow Crystal Gem.

"For the last time, I didn't break your stuff" Jasper said, sounding somewhere between irritated and uninterested, without even turn around to acknowledge Peridot.

"Oh, please!" Peridot said, rolling her head sarcastically. "Let's review the evidence. There I was, skillfully monitoring sensitive data in my secure observatory when I interrupted by an abrupt disturbance. Upon my investigation into said disturbance, I discovered a hole in the celling of observatory and directly above this hole, embedded into the celling of my room was one of your ostentation kinetic energy absorbing blocks. An obviously far too coincidental sequences of events to be anything other than a discernible pattern perpetrated by your relenting and childish desire to aggravate me!"

Jasper remained silent while Peridot ranted, making her way over to the fridge and pulling out a carton of juice. Jasper proceeded to lug down the entire carton in one impressive gulp. Once she had finished, she stuffed the rest of the plastic carton into her mouth and swallowed it whole.

"And if one of my slabs was stuck in the celling, then how did it make a hole in your observatory?" Jasper asked, still not turning around.

Peridot opened her mouth, but paused, with no sound coming out whatsoever, until finally, she said; "It couldn't! Obviously" she added bitterly, turning away from Jasper for the sake of maintaining her pride.

From the other side of the room, Lapis glanced between Peridot and Jasper; her expression was blank, but she had already deduced enough to realize what was really going around. She turned back to Steven, just in time to catch him tip toe his way over to the door.

"Steven" she said sharply, making him stop at once. He slowly turned around to face Lapis with a nervous expression. Peridot and Jasper likewise turned their attention to Lapis, surprised by her tone.

"What were you doing in the Temple?" Lapis asked, arms now crossed, looking down at him sternly.

Steven gulped, sweat rolling down his forehead as he dithered on the edge of a response, but his mind was a complete blank.

"I, uh…I was just…."

"Steven was in the Temple?" Peridot said in surprise. She frowned and marched forward, standing beside Lapis, giving Steven a disapproving look. "Now Steven, you know the rules. You can't be in the Temple unsupervised."

"I-I know that!" he replied quickly. "I'm sorry. I really just needed to go inside for a little bit, that's all"

"Did you break my things?" Peridot asked.

Steven averted his eyes up the ceiling, trying to keep his thoughts together. "That was me. I'm really, really sorry".

Peridot groaned in annoyance. "It's so much more convenient when I can blame Jasper for these things".

"Steven, you shouldn't be sneaking around in the Temple like that without telling us" Lapis said, sounding disappointed but no less firm. "You could have gotten hurt"

"I didn't get hurt" Steven said quickly, raising his arms. "Not one bit, see? Nothing to worry about at all"

Without saying a word, Jasper marched forward and brushed past Peridot and Lapis, to stand directly in front of Steven, who seemed to shrivel up under her towering figure.

"And why exactly you did go into Temple in the first place?" Jasper asked, sounding suspiciously interested. Her voice was perfectly calm, but there was no mistaking that she meant that as a serious question.

"No reason in particular" Steven said, trying to brush things off a cheery smile. "Anyway, I was just about to go out for a night time walk and-"

"Why were you in the Temple?" Jasper asked once again, as if she hadn't heard Steven's first response, glaring down at him.

"I was, um…"

Without taking her eyes off Steven, Jasper took a single step forward, causing Steven to immediately back away from her in response. Jasper took another deliberate step. Steven backed away yet again, his confidence faltering every second under Jasper's unwavering gaze. Then for a brief moment, he broke eye contact with her to cast a nervous glance back at the door out of the corner of his eye. By now, he had already told Jasper more than enough.

"Why were you in the Temple?" she asked, crossing her arms firmly, making it clear she wanted nothing short of a straight answer this time.

Trickles of sweat accumulating down his back, Steven closed his eyes and tried to put as much confidence as he could into his voice, while at the same time, not being wholly dishonest. "I needed to go, to do something…in private".

"And what exactly was this private thing?" Jasper asked, one eyebrow raised, noting Steven's deflection.

"I-I-I…uh…" Steven gulped, having suddenly lost his ability to speak altogether, Jasper's piercing stare bearing down upon him.

Suddenly, a loud buzzing noise erupted right beside Steven, making him jump in fright. He whipped his head around to from side to side until he realized the buzzing noise was coming from his phone, which was ringing from inside his pocket.

Steven turned back to Jasper with a nervous smile, but Jasper still appeared just as unamused as ever, with the same cold, intimating look in her eyes.

With a slightly shaking hand, Steven slowly reached into his pocket and grabbed hold of his vibrating phone, hoping to quickly mute the call, but when he tried to pull it out, he felt that the phone was stuck on something.

His began to quicken at an abnormal pace; between the sound of the ringing phone and Jasper's cold stare boring into him, Steven could feel himself give way to his growing panic until he literally yanked the phone out of his pocket with more force than he intended. But that was not the only came out of Steven's pocket, as he had forgotten what else he had stuffed in there.

Realizing all too late, Steven watched in a kind of strange slow motion, as Ruby's gem dropped out of his pocket and clattered down to the floor.

Steven's phone finally stopped ringing. He didn't check who it was.

The entire room was deathly silence. All three Crystal Gems were now all looking at the red gem sitting in the middle of their home, in the same manner as though a severed head had just rolled onto the floor.

Lapis stood motionless, her face frozen in an expression of shock, as a horrible fear began to arise from somewhere deep within her soul; a part of herself she longed to keep buried.

Jasper grittied her teeth and clenching her knuckles tightly, her entire body readying itself for an imminent battle every instinct she had screaming danger.

Peridot appeared too stunned to even react, although she was quite certain that something must have gone wrong with her vision spheres. Eventually she recovered and was the first of the Crystal Gems to finally speak up.

"Please lie to me and tell me that's not what I know it is" she said, somehow sounding both hopeful and pessimistic at the same time.

"That's a Gem" Lapis whispered, as though she could hardly believe it herself. Before anyone else could make a move to take it, Steven quickly grabbed the gem up off the floor, tossing his phone away.

"Steven, what are you doing with that?" Jasper shouted, sounding furious. "You took that out of the Temple, didn't you? What the heck were you thinking? That is not a toy!"

"No, it's fine, this Gem isn't a monster or anything" Steven said, trying to placate the situation, but his response only made things worse.

"How do you know that!?" Jasper snapped at once, her voice practically rattling the interior of the house. Her eyes widened, as she advanced on him, looking livid. "Are you saying you spoke to it!?"

"I-I-I-I'm really sorry" Steven said fearfully, retreating back from Jasper. "I just need to take it outside for a while. That's all"

"Steven, that Gem is dangerous!" Peridot said, holding her hands up cautiously, as if trying to persuade a dangerous criminal to drop a lethal weapon. "We can't risk taking it out of the Temple. Why in the world would you even think of taking something like out!?"

"Hand over it, now!" Jasper said, thrusting her open palm in front of Steven.

"No, I can't" Steven said, shaking his head, holding onto the gem protectively, keeping it as far out of Jasper's reach as he could.

"That wasn't a request!" Jasper said, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "That's an order!" Without warning, Jasper's massive orange hand reached out and wrapped around Steven's tiny wrist like iron clad vice, pulling him towards her body, as she bent down her knee to Steven's level.

"No, stop! I made a promise!" Steven pleaded, as he felt feet drag helplessly across the wooden boards, unable to do anything against Jasper's monstrous strength.

"Steven, please, just give us that Gem before something terrible happens!" Lapis implored, now sounding afraid.

"You don't understand what you're doing!" Peridot cried, looking equally as scared as Lapis, neither of them making any attempt to get in between Steven and Jasper.

Steven tried with all his might to pull himself free from Jasper's grasp, but her hold on him was so strong he might as well have been trying to move a boulder. He struggled to keep his fist clenched around Ruby's gem, the pressure Jasper was applying around his wrist making him want to let go; he couldn't tell if she was deliberately trying to hurt him or not.

Using her right hand, Jasper dug her fingers into Steven's fist and began to pry his fingers open. Despite his best efforts to his hand closed, Jasper pulled his fingers apart, revealing the exposed gem.

Steven gasped in horror. He couldn't let Ruby be taken away, not after she had trusted him. "Please, let go!"

But Jasper wasn't listening to him; her eyes were focused her target with ruthless determination. The tips of her two fingers brushed against the surface of the gem, seconds away from lifting it out of Steven's hand. In that instant, Steven knew that he had to stop Jasper from taking the helpless gem. He had to protect Ruby, he had to keep his promise. Nothing else mattered.

With that singular resolve in his mind, Steven felt a burst of frustration and anger begin to swell up in the pit of belly, bubbling upwards through his body, feeling a sudden rush of energy that he had to release.

"I said LET GO!"

Shutting his eyes closed, Steven pulled his right hand back and without even thinking about the undoubtedly adverse consequences that would follow afterwards, he punched Jasper right across her face in one, single, yet impressively strong swing of his fist.

Jasper's head rolled back from the strike, as she staggered backwards to the floor, landing down her elbow; maybe it was the unprecedented shock of had just happened or the surprising force of Steven's punch. In either case it was enough to make her release her hold on him.

From the other side of the room, Lapis gasped in horror, clasping her hands over her mouth. Beside her, Peridot's jaw dropped so low it might have detached.

Steven opened his eyes again, his arm still outstretched in the air, Ruby's gem safely secured in his other hand. All the energy he felt a moment ago was now gone, and very quickly replaced itself with total disbelief at his own actions.

Jasper soon recovered from Steven's punch, slowly turning her head back around, glaring at him through the folds of her white hair, with a single furious, orange coloured eye.

Feeling terror like never before in his entire life, Steven let out a petrified scream and immediately bolted out the front door, running as fast as he possible could. He wasn't sure if he was ever coming back again.

The house was then silent again as Jasper remained crouched down on the floor, not so much as moving a muscle. Behind her, Lapis rooted on the spot, standing perfectly still in total contrast to Peridot, whose body was shaking uncontrollably, her metal knees clanking loudly against each other. The two of them were staring intently at Jasper's back, waiting any second now for the colossal explosion. But to their great surprise, instead of getting angry, Jasper calmly stood back up and merely rubbed her check, as she turned back to face them, looking far more bemused than enraged.

"He actually hit me" she whispered, with a strange kind of surprise and maybe even respect. "Didn't think the kid had it him." Her eyes focused back on Lapis and Peridot, looking at the two of them with a somewhat awkward expression. "Would it be a weird for me to say that I'm a kinda proud of him right now?"

"YES!" Peridot snapped in a sudden burst of outrage, forgetting her earlier terror, throwing her hands up in the air. "It would be exceptional weird and inappropriate to say that!"

Lapis threw her head back and yelled in pure frustration, stunned beyond words that that Jasper and Peridot could still find an excuse to argue even at a time like this. Lapis immediately rushed past Jasper and ran out the door, hoping to catch Steven before he got too far.

"Steven?" she called out, her voice ringing across the beach. "Steven, come back here!" Growing more worried with each passing second, Lapis sprouted her water wings and took off to the sky.

Jasper and Peridot quickly followed out the door after Lapis; Jasper vaulted over the balcony and landed down on the beach with a heavy thud, while Peridot carefully descended down using her finger-copter. They each took off in opposite directions, calling out for Steven, while Lapis circled the skies above.

Unbeknownst to any of them, Steven was crouching in the shadows, hidden behind the rafters underneath the Beach House, Ruby's gem still clasped safely in his hands.

After making sure that the Crystal Gems were far enough away, Steven slowly creeped out from his hiding spot, shaking uncontrolledly and panting rapidly. He winced slightly and glanced down at his hand. He's knuckles were already starting to bruise.

What in the world had made him do that? He felt absolutely terrible for hitting Jasper like that and for going against her wishes. He couldn't even imagine how upset he must have made Peridot and Lapis. But worst of all, he was afraid of what Jasper was going to do to him once when she caught him again.

So much had happened in the past few hours, Steven had no idea what to think anymore. It was all so insane, from meeting Sapphire, to meeting Ruby and now this whole fight with Jasper and the others. Steven knew for certain they would be displeased with him for going behind their backs, but he hadn't been expecting them to so…intense about. He couldn't be sure, but there was something off about their reaction. It was like they were afraid of something, something other than the Gem monsters or artifacts. That thought alone was making Steven feel even more troubled. What else was he going to have to deal with next?

There was now only one thought in Steven's mind that gave him any sense of ease; his mission, his quest, his so-called fate. He had to bring Ruby back to Sapphire. He had promised them both. After all of this hardship he had been forced to endured, he simply had to.

Looking down at Ruby's gem, Steven tightened his hands around it. With a determined expression, he set off from the Beach House and headed for the place where Sapphire had told him to meet, hoping she was still there.


	6. Fusion Gem

The night sky was clear and cloudless, with thousands of stars dotted across the endless black cloth; the moon was out and almost full, hovering high up in the sky, casting a slivery illumination in lieu of the sun over the ocean and landscape below.

Steven was sprinting across the deserted stretch of beach at a break neck speed, leaving a trail of footprints in the sand behind him, that were quickly been washed away by the crashing waves. Despite his speed, Steven was running in a rather awkward manner, keeping his arms held out in front of him and his hands were clamped together at all times as he darted along the sand, fearful that the slightest trip or misstep could cause him to fall and risk damaging his precious passenger.

He wasn't sure how long he had been running, but he refused to stop or slow down, aside from taking a few cautionary glances every once in a while, checking to see if the Crystal Gems were anywhere nearby. Steven knew were still out looking for him and that it wouldn't be long before they eventually found him again. Pushing these thoughts out of his head, Steven tried to remember the place where Sapphire had told him to meet her once he brought Ruby's gem out of the Temple. Or rather, he tried to remember the place where they were supposed to meet, which he had seen in his brief vision of the future when Sapphire passed her powers onto him.

From what Steven could recall, their meeting place was going to be small, secluded cove that was close to the cliffside on the right of town, a place that Steven didn't usually go out to venture due to its isolated and slightly hazardous nature, but it was still familiar enough to him that he recognised the placement of rocks and curves of the beach as he drew nearer. All the while as he ran, Steven hoped that Sapphire was still there waiting for him. He was supposed to have been back much sooner than this, but everything had been delayed thanks to his previous mistake with Ruby's bubble. He started to become worried that Sapphire may have thought he wasn't really coming and decided to leave already. That idea made Steven's heart sink; he couldn't beat the thought of leaving Sapphire disappointed without being able to explain himself.

As Steven approached the cliffside, he saw where he needed to go. Up ahead was a series of large rocks and boulders, which looked to be the result a landside perhaps, that stretched into the ocean, cutting the beach off. It would appear that nothing was behind the rocks, but Steven knew that there was another cove and beach just on the other side. All he had to do to get there was climb over these rocks.

Approaching the toppled boulders and being sure to keep Ruby safe in one hand, Steven began to scale the rocky surface, pulling himself upwards using his single free hand, with took a little extra effort. Careful of his footing, Steven reached the top of the largest boulder and then slid down the smooth surface, landing on the other side, where he was treated to a rather strange sight.

It was an entire beach covered in a thick blanket of white snow. For a moment, Steven felt like he had just walked onto the middle of the Arctic rather than a tropical cove. It was so cold that Steven could feel his hands and feet beginning to sting with the change in climate. Even the top of the water surrounding the beach was frozen solid by a sheet of ice that stretched over its surface.

Looking up at the sky, Steven observed a thick, grey storm cloud hanging overhead, where seemed to be raining snow down into this one secluded area. Steven didn't even the cloud, since the sky was perfectly clear a moment ago on the other side of the rocks; it seemed to be snowing here and nowhere else. Realizing that this could only mean one thing, Steven hurried along the edge of the beach until he found the source of the weather pattern.

Sapphire was pacing back and forth across the same patch of snow along the edge of the ocean. She appeared distressed, anxiously fidgeting with her hands, unable to keep herself still for very long.

"Sapphire!" Steven called out.

Sapphire ceased her pacing and turned around to see an ecstatic Steven running through the snow towards her, almost tripping over his feet before he finally reached her.

"Sapphire" Steven panted. "I did it! I brought you the gem".

"You did it?" she said, as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing. But her face soon lit up into a wide, jubilant smile. "You really did it! When you didn't come right away, I thought that it was all ruined! I thought because I let you that picture of us, I had messed everything up again. I thought I threw us off the path"

"Things didn't go exactly the way I thought" Steven said, with a slightly embarrassed shrugged. "But I still got here in the end. I brought you the Gem you asked for"

Steven presented Sapphire with Ruby's gem in his open palms. Although her eyes were hidden behind her veil of white hair, Steven was sure that they both were as wide as dinner plates at the sight of the red gem in his hands. Sapphire slowly inched closer to Steven, who patiently waiting for her to take the gem. She raised a cautious, almost shaking hand toward the gem, as if she was afraid to touch it for fear of it biting her somehow

The tip of Sapphire's finger barely made contact with the gem, when it released a bright red glow once again, levitating out of Steven's hand and into the air. Light emerged around the gem, forming into a set of arms, legs, body and then a head until it took the full shape of Ruby as she materialized out of the light and landed down on the sand on her own two feet.

Ruby opened her eyes, appearing a little bit groggy. The first thing she saw was Steven, who smiled nervously her, before backing away several paces. Still confused, Ruby glanced around the snow-covered cove, until she finally turned to the right and saw Sapphire, standing less than five feet away from her, staring back at Ruby with her mouth gaping open.

Everyone and everything suddenly went very still. The freezing chill in the air was gone as the surrounding snow beginning to melt away, the ice over the water breaking away and the clouds above departing. But despite this change, there was no great heat wave present either. Instead, everything just seemed to balance itself outside, hovering at the prefect degree between degree between hot and cold. It was like everything, the temperature, the air, the ocean, maybe even the entire planet, had stopped moving for this single, miraculous moment in time.

"It's really you…" Sapphire whispered, barely audible.

"Sapphire?" Ruby said, blinking hard, making sure that this wasn't some trick and that her eyes weren't deceiving her.

"Ruby!" Sapphire cried.

"Sapphire!"

The two Gems crossed the distance between them almost instantaneously, embracing each other in a hug so tight they might never have detached again.

"I'm so glad your safe!" Ruby said, wrapping her arms around Sapphire's head and neck.

"I thought….I thought I'd never see you again" Sapphire whimpered, burying her head on Ruby's shoulder.

"See _me_ again?" Shocked, Ruby gently lifted Sapphire's head up, holding face up to the moonlight. "What do you mean see me again? We only just…." Ruby fell silent, her face turning gaunt, as a terrible realization dawned onto her. Pulling away from Sapphire, Ruby clenched her fist and lowered head down low, staring hard at the sand.

"How long have we….?" she whispered.

Sapphire sighed. She obviously had been expected Ruby to ask this question, but it seemed no less painful when she answered. "It's been almost five thousand years since we were separated. You've been inside a bubble all that time"

Ruby flung her head back up to Sapphire and looked as though she was about to be sick. "Five thousand years?!"

The ocean briefly sizzled with steam as Ruby threw her head back and railed up to the sky in anguish, pulling at fistful of her brown hair in rage as she fought back against her own tears. "What's the matter with me! How could I be so stupid? I should have listened to you when you said it was about to happen! I should have been there with you! I should have-"

"No, it's okay" Sapphire said at once, taking Ruby's hands, which immediately calmed her down again. "I understand that you felt that you had to go back for the others. I thought I would be able to wait for you, but I was wrong. But none of that matters now. We're finally together again. And it's all thanks to Steven. Without him, I could never have found you"

Ruby turned around in surprise to look at Steven, most likely having already forgotten he was present the whole time. Steven chuckled bashfully, blushing in embarrassment and turning his eyes away from Ruby.

"You really did help us?" Ruby said with stunned disbelief, but her gratitude was no less obvious.

"Well, yeah I-" Steven was suddenly cut off as Ruby wrapped her arms around his body in a strong bear hug, lifting him off his feet

"Thank you so much!" she cheered.

"Your welcome" Steven wheezed happily. Ruby set Steven back on the ground and released him. She beamed at Steven, but her smile soon turned into a frown.

"But wait, I thought you said you were a Crystal Gem?" she asked, clearly confused

"Um, yeah?" Steven said, not really understanding Ruby's question. But soon, the question no longer mattered as Ruby turned her attention back to Sapphire, the sole object of affection.

"What happened to you after I was gone?" she asked, gripping Sapphire's shoulders, inspecting her for any sign of injury. "Did anything bad happen to you? Did good happen that wasn't there for!? I want to know everything"

Sapphire signed again, now appearing weary, like someone who had just finished a lifetime's worth expedition. "It's just a long story" she said. "So much has changed back home, you might not even believe me. I only wished I could have come sooner, but circumstances prevented from getting back here. It was only a short time ago that a narrow window of opportunity opened to allow me to return."

Steven glanced back and forth between Ruby and Sapphire, listening to every word of their conversation as it would be impossible to block it out. The more they spoke, the more curious he found himself becoming. What were they talking about? Where did they come from? What exactly happened to break these two apart in the first place? Steven wanted to ask them these questions, wanting to hear and know their full story, but right now he couldn't bring himself to get in the way of Ruby and Sapphire's reunion for fear of spoiling.

Ruby was in the middle of tenderly creasing Sapphire's cheek with the tip of her fingers, looking at her like she was a work of art. She then moved her other hand to top of Sapphire's head and parted the bit of hair hanging over her face, revealing a single, bright blue eye so large that it took up almost half of Sapphire's face. Steven briefly had to surpress a slight squawking noise in his throat at the sight of Sapphire's real face. His initial reaction was that of surprise, thinking that Sapphire's singular eye was rather peculiar, but the more he looked at it, the more Steven realized it only Sapphire look even more beautiful.

"You came back here? Just to find me?" Ruby whispered, sounding like she was thoroughly undeserving of such devotion, more tears forming in her eyes. Sapphire closed her single eye and pressed her cool cheek into Ruby's warm hand, resting her head in her palm with an expression of sheer bliss

"I've thought of nothing else but to see you again" she said,

"That's funny" Ruby chuckled in a low voice, drawing closer to Sapphire, who opened her eye again in surprise. "Cos the very last thing I remember seeing before I got poofed, was your pretty face"

Without warning, Sapphire let out a loud and very undignified sounding snort of laugher, breaking into a fit of uncontrollable giggles, playfully pushing Ruby away from her.

"Stop it!" she said, unable to contain herself, blushing with embarrassment.

"There's my laughy, Sappy! Come here you". Despite her half-hearted protests, Ruby grabbed Sapphire up by her waist and swept her off her feet, throwing her body into the air before catching her again, making her squeal in delight. Ruby squeezed Sapphire by the waist and began to plant a series of kisses into her neck, until Sapphire finally broke free of Ruby's grip and baited her to give chase. Happy to oblige, Ruby ran after Sapphire with a confident smirk, charging headfirst at her with outstretched arms to grab her again, but missed as Sapphire swiftly side stepped her, making Ruby miss and land face first in the sand. Ruby popped her hand out of the sand, but rather than be upset she merely laughed along with Sapphire. She soon was back to her feet and started chasing Sapphire up along the beach, each of them playfully teasing and goading the other as part of some personal game, having as much fun as they could possibly muster as though determined to make up for five thousand years of separation.

Standing afar, Steven watched in silence as the two Gems danced, laughed and frolicked around the beach, so caught up in their own merriment that they became oblivious to his presence. Steven soon felt the colour rise in his own cheeks, beginning to feel as though he may have been intruding on something private, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to look away. Never in all his life had Steven seen two people, or in the case Gems, so inconceivably happy together. It was like nothing mattered to them but each's other continued company and wellbeing. All that they wanted to simply be together.

Even more remarkable, Steven thought, was how unlikely it ought to have been for these two get along so perfectly well.

Sapphire, who was distant and emotionless, was now giggling with unrestrained joy and Ruby, who was impatient and violent, appeared far more relaxed and gentler. From everything Steven had experience with both of them, these were two Gems who were as different to each other as night and day. Yet here and now, they appeared to complement each in the most perfect way imaginable. Sapphire's cold exterior melted away while Ruby's enteral burning flame was doused to a control fire.

Steven found their bond with each other to be nothing short of amazing. He felt like he was witnessing something truly special. But at the same time, he also felt as though he couldn't fully comprehend it either. This kind of closeness, this intimacy and familiarity, was something he had never truly experienced or witnessed before. Not among his friends or even the Crystal gems. What really going on between Ruby and Sapphire? More than anything he wanted to know, but the more he thought about, the more he realized that there was only one thing this could be.

Sapphire suddenly squealed again as Ruby caught her by the waist and pulled in for another embrace, refusing to let her go. Trapped in her arms, Sapphire took one look at Ruby and without warning, leaned in to kiss her full on the lips, a gesture which Ruby returned in kind. After breaking away again, Ruby swept Sapphire off her feet and held up as she spun them around. Faster and faster they spun until a bright glow emanated from their individual gemstones, their bodies meddling together in a whirlwind of pure light and from within that light, they became something entirely new. They became a Fusion.

The Fusion that was now standing on the beach in place of Ruby and Sapphire was tall, elegant, strong and most of all beautiful. It's overall colouring seemed to be a mixture of both Ruby and Sapphire clothes. On top of its head, it spotted Ruby's trademark square shaped bushel of hair, though slightly more angular; in the middle of its brow, the Fusion spotted a third eye in addition to a normal pair.

Steven gasped, shocked by the sight of this abrupt Fusion, backing up so fast that he tripped over his feet and fell down on the sand. For the first time since he arrived here, he felt a sudden sense of danger, as he vividly remembered his past experience with Malachite and how quickly she went out of control. For a moment, Steven wondered if this fusion between Ruby and Sapphire was about to burst into flames or turn into a block of ice.

But unlike Malachite, this Fusion didn't appear to be vicious or destructive. In fact, it appeared extremely calm, almost peaceful looking, wrapping its two arms around his shoulders, hugging itself closely, and letting out a small, joyous chuckle of laughter. The Fusion then turn its head in Steven's direction, making him to flinch in fear. Still too stunned to get up again, Steven remained where he was on the sand as the Fusion walked over to him.

Steven held his breath as the Fusion stared down at him, wondering what was about to happen. But then to his surprise, the Fusion smiled at him before bending down and offering Steven not one, but two hands for him to take. Looking into the Fusions open palms, he could see both Ruby and Sapphire's gemstones embedded into the center of its respective hands. Taking this as a good sign, Steven grab each of the Fusion's hands and allowed it to pull him back up again.

He stared up at the Fusion with a strange kind of awe, as it continued to smile back down at him. "Sapphire? Ruby?" he said.

"Garnet" the Fusion said softly, placing both her hands over the middle of her chest. "My name's Garnet. Thank you, Steven, for bringing us back together"

"You two are fused" Steven said, hesitantly, taking a minute to look over their new body, as though he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Are-are you ok?

"No, no, we're fine. _I'm_ fine" Garnet said reassuringly. She kneeled down in the sand, allowing Steven to view her at eye level. "I know I must seem strange like this, but this is who are, Steven. It's who we were meant to be. This form is merely a manifestation of the feelings that Ruby and Sapphire have for each other. Everything that they are, everything they care about is what I am."

"So, does that mean you're like….made out of love!?" Steven whispered, his eyes going bright.

"Yeah" Garnet chuckled lightly, with vague shrug. "I'm made of love". Taking Steven by surprise again, Garnet wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer to for a warm embrace. "We can never thank you enough for this, Steven"

Steven felt another flush of colour in his cheek, which disappeared again once Garnet had released him.

"So, was this it?" he asked, sounding hopeful. "Was this my fate? To bring the two of you together?" Garnet's happy expression suddenly turned sad, as she avoided Steven's eye.

"Steven, I'm sorry" she said heavily. "But Sapphire lied to you". Garnet paused before continuing, allowing Steven a moment to contemplate his own surprise. "It's true that Sapphire can see the future, but nothing we see is set in stone. You have to be the one to create your own future. That's why she…we used you. I'm sorry.

"You used me?" Steven said. He couldn't help but sound a little bit hurt. Garnet sighed and stood back up again.

"Please understand. Sapphire had been trying for hundreds of years to reunite with Ruby. She saw thousands of different visions of possible futures, hoping she might find a path of reaching Ruby again. When she arrived here, she saw a vision of meeting with you and how you would help bring Ruby to her. Sapphire hoped that by playing into that specific vision, she could coerce you into following it exactly as she saw it so that it would come to pass"

"Well, that is what happened. Except for the part when I let Ruby out of her bubble too early. After that I kinda had to improvise" Steven said, still feeling a little bad over the earlier debacle had caused.

"That's exactly the point Steven" Garnet continued. "No one can truly predict the future. All we can really see is just possibilities and trajectories, trying to navigate our way through a myriad of different outcomes in an ocean of infinite timelines as we try to find the best course of action. But no matter what future came, there was still one thing that was always a constant."

Garnet placed her hand on Steven's shoulder, smiling brightly at him. "You, Steven. That you would find a way to help us no matter what it took. You promised us you would help and without even knowing who we are, you kept that promise. We had faith in you and our faith was rewarded. We can never repay enough for what you've done for us"

Garnet beamed at Steven, staring at him as though she thought of him as something that was truly amazing and special, mirroring the way Steven was looking back at Garnet.

"But, why couldn't you-I mean, Sapphire, trust me with the whole truth?" Steven asked, still not fully understanding.

Garnet's gentle expression suddenly hardened, her face now appearing angry and grim. "It wasn't you we couldn't trust" she said darkly.

"Over here!"

Steven turned his head back up to the sky and spotted Lapis hovering high above them. She landed on the beach, a few yards opposite Steven and Garnet. There then came loud explosion as the boulder blocking the way into the cove was shattered to pieces, courtesy of Jasper, preferring to go straight through rather than over. She was followed closing behind by Peridot as they entered the cove. Seeing Steven by the shore of the beach, Peridot rushed on ahead past Jasper, stopping next to Lapis.

"Steven, what's going on here?" Peridot said, sounding frantic and worried. "Are you alright? What are you-?" Peridot's eyes then settled onto Garnet standing next to Steven, and she recoiled back, totally flabbergasted. "A Gem!?"

"A fusion!" Lapis gasped, once she had a moment to properly inspect Garnet, placing her hand over her mouth in shock.

Jasper entered the cove and stood behind Lapis and Peridot; if she was surprised by this turn of events, she didn't show it. She merely pushed Peridot and Lapis out of her way as she stepped forward, stopping roughly a dozen feet away from where Steven and Garnet were standing, surveying the unknown Fusion for herself.

The two of them locked eyes with each other and one thing was very clear from the onset; that neither of them liked the other in the slightest. Jasper was staring at Garnet with a look of suspicion and distrust, while Garnet retuned her gaze with a truly venomous glare. Curling her lips back in a snarl, Jasper then snapped her head over to Steven who still standing anxiously beside Garnet.

"Steven, how many Gems did you take out of the Temple?!" she roared, no mistaking her fury any longer.

"Just the one, I swear!" he replied shakily, fearfully of doing anything else that might incur Jasper's wraith.

Jasper turned back to Garnet again, throwing an accusing finger at her. "That means one of you came here on your own. How did you find us? What are you doing here?!"

"Please, it's ok" Steven said quickly, hoping he could defuse the situation with a proper explanation. "Let me introduce you guys. This is Garnet, she's-"

"KEEP AWAY FROM HER!" Garnet snapped loudly, cutting Steven off. He turned to her, surprised by the sudden volume of her voice as well as her obvious display of anger. Steven soon felt the humidity in the air rise once again as sweat formed on his forehead; the ocean behind them was beginning to boil and the sand beneath Garnet's feet was burning, thin traces of smoke raising upwards as she continued to glare dangerously at the Crystal Gems. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"Steven, back away from her! Now" Lapis said, at once with perilous concern.

"No, wait, you don't understand" Steven said, stepping between Garnet and the Crystal Gems, both sides looking ready to go to war with the other. "She's my friend"

"She is _not_ a friend!" Jasper said angrily, looking more than ready to charge headfirst at Garnet at the slightest sign of provocation.

Steven opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he saw his own breath appear as vapour the air. His sweat was gone and there was now a cold chill running down his spin. He turned back to Garnet; her shoulders were trembling violently as stared down at the sand, hugging her arms around her body as she now seemed to be absorbing heat rather than releasing it.

"You….you're just like everyone else" she whispered, her anger now replaced with an equal proportion of sorrow. "You want to keep us apart. You won't let us be together".

She turned her head up to look at Crystal Gems once again, her two lower eyes brimming with tears, while the topmost one was curled in a kind of angry glare; it was almost comical how mismatched they were.

"This is all your fault" Garnet continued, now sounding vengeful again. "All of it! You're the ones who caused all this to go wrong in the first place. Why? Why can't everyone just leave us alone?"

"Wha-what?" Steven said, looking at Garnet with concern, trying to understand the root of her distress. "Garnet, what's the matter?"

Over on their side of the beach, the Crystal Gems were not moving, but they were as far from reassured as possible. Clenching her knuckles tightly, Jasper tensed up, shifting her heels in the sand, her entire body ready to move at the drop of a pin. Her eyes shifted from Garnet down to Steven, who was still standing close enough next to the Fusion that he surely would be in harm's way if something were to happen. Jasper then glanced very briefly at Peridot, who return her look with the slightest of nods, her own expression just as serious. Already on the same page as Jasper, Peridot slowly folded her arms behind her back, silently powering up her finger-cannon, keeping her eyes on Garnet at all times. Jasper turned her gaze over to Lapis, who didn't turn to look at her. Instead, Lapis' eyes, which appeared cold and merciless, were focused on the ocean behind Steven and Garnet, the water already beginning to ripple and rise at her command.

They knew what was going to happen next. They knew the moment they had seen Garnet.

Steven hesitantly approached the still disconcerted Garnet, putting his hands on her upper thigh, hoping to try and comfort her in some way. He didn't know what it was, but something about the Crystal Gems presence was upsetting her. He knew had to say something before things got any further out of hand.

"She wasn't trying to hurt me" he began, turning his head back to the Crystal Gems. "She was just-"

In an instant, chains made of clear blue liquid shot out from the ocean as fast a pack of vipers, the watery shackles latching onto Garnet, clamping around her neck, waist, arms and legs as tightly as if they were made of real iron. Garnet cried out and struggled against the chains as they began to drag her backwards toward the water.

"Garnet!" Steven immediately rushed after her, but before he could reach her, Jasper leapt forward and landed next to Steven with a heavy thud, scooping him up by his waist in one of her massive arms before then jumping backwards in another might leap, putting as much distance as possible between them and Garnet.

"Peridot, now!" Jasper yelled, after she had gotten Steven out of the line of fire.

With Lapis holding Garnet in place with her chains, Peridot pulled her arm out from behind her back and fired her fully charged finger-cannon, the concentrated bolt of green energy crossing the distance between them in just a few seconds, hitting Garnet squarely in the chest in an erupting flash of green light that lit up the surrounding beach.

Still secure in Jasper's arm, Steven gasped, horrified by what he had just seen, tears already beginning to form in his eyes. The rest of Crystals Gems watched in suspenseful silence as the smoke began to clear, expecting to see two discarded gems lying in the sand.

But to their surprise, what saw instead was Garnet herself, standing upright, still bound by Lapis watery chains, but otherwise unharmed. Crossed in front of her chest in an X-shape, were two massive red gauntlets in place of her normal hands, acting as shield; each one was about ten times as thick her own arms, with fists the size of the tip of a torpedo head, sparkles of green energy cackling off them, having shielded Garnet from Peridot's attack, absorbing the full brunt of the blast without so much as a scratch or blister.

Garnet opened her three eyes again and she no longer appeared indecisive or afraid. Her mind, body and soul were now united in a single goal. The temperature dropped once again. The watery chains holding Garnet turned to solid ice, as did much of the surrounding ocean behind her within the span of a few seconds. With a single flex of her arms, Garnet shattered the chains holding her in place, shards of icicles flying everywhere.

Growling, Garnet opened out her the fingers of her gauntlets and clenched them shut again, as each one lit up with a different coloured sphere of energy. The left gauntlet was sizzling with a crimson red aura, while the right gauntlet was emitting a chilling blue mist.

With a heavy grunt, Garnet thrust her right arm forward in the form of a punch and sent a concentrated blast of cold wind directly at Lapis, with the force of small blizzard. As Lapis was bombarded with the freezing air, she instinctively opened out her wings to fly away, but this was a fatal mistake as the wings were frozen instantly and were then shattered by the sheer force of the arctic tempest as it battered against her body before lifting her off her feet and sending her tumbling backwards across beach, leaving her covered in frost and unable to move.

Peridot glanced at her fallen teammate and quickly prepared another shot of her cannon, but before she was ready to fire, Garnet smashed her left gauntlet into the sand, creating a streak of pure heat that travelled in a straight-line underground like a red neon signal toward Peridot. The sand beneath Peridot's feet began to bubble and swell violently with the extreme heat before exploding from underneath her in the form of a miniature volcano, blasting her up into the air with a shrill scream until she landed on the sand next to Lapis.

Having handily dispatched both Peridot and Lapis, Garnet now turned her attention to Jasper, gauntlets still raised and glowing, throwing her a challenging look, practically taunting her.

Jasper, of course, was not one to back down from a fight in any circumstance. Keeping her eyes firmly on Garnet, Jasper lightly tossed Steven over her shoulder, where he landed on his backside in the sand. Satisfied that he was far enough out of the danger zone, Jasper formed her crash helmet and squared herself off against Garnet.

Steven immediately rushed back to his feet and made a futile attempt to speak up, hoping he could talk sense into them before they seriously hurt one another.

"Stop! Why are you guys fighting?!"

But it was neither Jasper nor Garnet were interested in talking; right now, all that mattered to them was the fight. Jasper craned her neck from side to side and cracked her knuckles. Despite the situation, she allowed herself a slight smirk, feeling more than just a little excited to face a real challenge.

Garnet did not appear to return the same eagerness for battle. Instead she simply raised her gauntlets in the air and held her stance, poised, steady and confident; she was prepared herself for anything that Jasper might throw at her.

"You won't take us apart ever again!" she declared.

Neither Gem warrior made any attempt to move, both of them remaining perfectly stationary as if waiting for the other to strike first. Then, on some unspoken cue, Jasper tucked her head downwards, rolling herself into her a rapidly spinning ball of orange spikes, kicking the sand up all around her she built up her speed before finally releasing her ball form and launching her body headfirst at Garnet like a missile.

Garnet made no attempt to run or dodge Jasper's attack. She simply held her ground, gauntlets on either side. Then, moving with inhuman reflexes and airtight precision, Garnet snapped her gauntlets together at the last second like a bear trap, catching Jasper by the tip of her crash helmet as came inches from hitting her own face. Garnet's feet skidded over the sand as she was pushed back by Jasper's momentum, until she managed to dig her heels into the sand and brought them both to a halt. Jasper planted her own feet in the sand and maintained her pressure on Garnet, bearing down on her with all her strength. For a long moment they both pushed at each other in titanic struggle, neither of them able to budge the other one by an inch.

Thinking that she could not overpower Garnet fast enough, Jasper formulated another plan in her mind; she would pull her back, detach herself from Garnet, grab both of her arms and keep them separated, creating a clear opening to headbutt Garnet. All Jasper needed was one solid hit and she knew she would end this.

But no sooner than Jasper had contemplated this thought, Garnet acted first, as if she read her mind. Before Jasper had the chance to react, Garnet broke her hands free from Jasper's crash helmet and then simultaneously punched her on both sides of her face with each gauntlet, shattering the helmet visor, temporarily robbing the Quartz solider of her vision. Jasper faltered backwards, her hands over her stinging eyes, but before she could recover, Garnet clenched each of her gauntlets, forming a powerful ball of energy around each fist, one red and one blue. Garnet struck Jasper in the chest with both gauntlets, the red and blue energies combining together to create a massive bolt of lightning that blasted Jasper clean off her feet and sent her flying backwards.

On the other side of the beach, Peridot had managed to get back to her feet with Lapis arm draped over her shoulder as she was of helping her to stand again when the two of them were suddenly greeted with the backside of Jasper smashing into them, knocking all three Crystal Gems into the side of the rocky cliff with a loud crash.

Steven threw his head back and forth between the defeated Crystal Gems and the victorious Garnet, both of her gauntlets already disappearing, as if to signal the end of the battle. What in the world just happened? Just a few seconds ago they were talking and then it somehow turned into an all-out battlefield. Why did everyone start fighting? Why did they want to hurt each other without any provocation? Nothing about any of this made any sense to him.

Steven was about to rush over to Jasper and the others, afraid that they may be injured and hoping his healing powers would return to help, but he was stopped when he felt Garnet grab him by the arm. Steven turned and flinched at the sight of her, but Garnet now looked afraid once again.

"No, Steven, please listen!" she said, dropping to her knees, placing her hands on his shoulders. Steven hesitated; after what had just happened, he didn't know whether to consider Garnet a friend or foe right now, but he nevertheless remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"Steven, you have to come with me" she said, gripping his shoulders almost painfully. "Something terrible is coming here. And this time the Crystal Gems can't stop it. If you stay here, it will be your end. You must escape with me. We'll go somewhere safe, somewhere far from here, someplace where don't have to worry about what others think or say. And this time, I promise, I'll help you find your answers to your own questions"

Steven stared at Garnet, her eyes pleading at him to accept her offer; though he had no physical proof, he could feel her desperation and fear, knowing instantly that they were genuine. He wanted to help Garnet in any way he could, but after what had just happened, he didn't exactly know how he go about. If tried to talk to the Crystal Gem again, it likely would start another fight. And after seeing exactly what Garnet could do, he wasn't sure whose safety he should be more worried over. He thought perhaps it would be best if she left now, before there was any more conflict. The last thing he wanted to see was Garnet and the Crystal Gems fighting again.

But despite everything that had just happened, Steven didn't want to see Garnet to go as he still found her to be truly amazing. He wished nothing more that she would stay. Part of him actually considered going with her but this feeling was soon overshadowed by his concern for the Crystal Gems, who were in the middle of dislodging themselves from the cliffside just behind him. He couldn't abandon them. Not now

"I don't know what my future is yet" Steven admitted. "I don't understand anything that's happening anymore. All I know, is that I'm a Crystal Gem no matter what and that this is my home. I'm sorry, but I can't leave"

Garnet was speechless; for a moment she appeared disappointed, but then closed her eyes and nodded her head solemnly. Without another word, she stood up and walked away from Steven, moving closer to the ocean.

Steven reached his hand out to her, hoping there might be still a chance for them to talk this over. "Wait, this could be your home too!"

"There's no home for me. Not here" Garnet said softly. She turned her head up to the sky, staring a singular patch of the sky covered in stars. "Not anywhere".

In another flash of light, Garnet re-summoned her gauntlets, each one lighting up with the corresponding red and blue energies. Garnet turned her head around, and gave one last look at Steven, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Goodbye Steven"

With a mighty clap, Garnet snapped her two gauntlets together, her body surrounding itself in a field of electricity before erupting in a flash of lightning so bright Steven had to close his eyes for fear of going blind. Just like real lightning, the flash was instantaneous, lasting only for a second, but when Steven opened his eyes again, he found himself standing alone on the beach, his friend or rather his two friends, now gone without a single trace. Steven moved closer to the spot where Garnet had vanished, the sand having been crystallised from where she had been standing. He then moved to the edge of the ocean, staring out over the empty horizon and then up to the sky, hoping to find some sign of where Garnet had gone, but there was nothing.

"She's… gone" he said. Normally in this kind of situation, Steven may have felt some of excitement or relief, but day like today, he soon realized he was completely tapped out of emotion, positive or negative Steven was so detached from the world around him, that he barely even noticed Jasper, Peridot and Lapis as they came rushing up behind him, seeing for themselves that Garnet had escaped.

"Oh Steven" Lapis whispered, with great sadness. "What have you done?" She was clutching her right arm, as though it was in pain, but there was no obvious sign of injury.

"I didn't know" Steven said numbly, still staring out over the ocean. "I didn't know things would turn out like this. I had no idea there were other Gems out there"

Peridot got down to her knees next to Steven and placed her hand on his shoulder. "There's a lot you don't know about Gems, Steven" she said, sounding serious, though not too unkindly. Steven turned his head to her, but Peridot soon averted his eyes, as if trying to hide some kind of shame. "And most of it, isn't pleasant"

"Will she…come back?" Steven asked, more to himself than anyone. He couldn't really tell if he hoped or feared for it.

"With our luck, she probably will" Jasper growled bitterly, casually brushing away from sand from her shoulder, the scorch mark still visible on her chest from she had been hit. "And she'll bring trouble with her when she does. But we'll be ready"

Steven and the Crystal Gems gazed out over at the darkened horizon, unaware of the dangers that lay out waiting for them. Peridot glanced up to Jasper with a look of concern and worry, while Jasper herself appeared far more surly and grim than her usual self. Beside her, Lapis was still clutching her arm tightly, looking down at the sand as though all joy had been sucked from within her.

"Oh, and by the way" Jasper said, taking one last look down at Steven in front of her. "Your grounded" she said. Despite how trivial that seemed to be compared everything else, there was no doubt Jasper meant.

"Yeah, I figured" Steven said quietly, not even turning around to look at Jasper, his eyes still on the horizon. Somehow, he felt that grounding would be the least troubling thing that was set to occur for him.


	7. Warp Tour

In a remote location, hidden of behind a encompassing series of mountains, was a valley untouched by humankind, either because it was impossible to reach by conventional means or because there was a mutual understanding that it was a place that should best be avoided. At least for humans.

Within that valley stood a gigantic tree, it's size rivalling that of a skyscraper, with hundreds, if not thousands of branches extending out in every direction. Flora, foliage and vegetation of an impossible variety decorated the branches of the tree in place of normal leaves. Each branch was big enough to house its own personal ecosystem. There was so much diversity in colour, shape and region that it would have been impossible for of all these types of plants to exist together in the natural world within one location except for this one very unnatural location.

The roots of the tree were almost just as big as the trunk and stretched out over the valley like trains tracks across the ground, wrapping around the bases of the mountains. One of these roots stretched out from the tree to edge of an exposed cliffside like a private walkway, stopping right next to a Warp Pad.

Walking down this giant root as though it was a normal sidewalk, unperturbed by the strange surroundings, was Peridot, speaking aloud, as she often did, into her finger-screen, keeping an up to date record of the day's events.

"Peridot, log date. Our latest outing has been a modest success and the Gem related threat in this area has been neutralized. As per usual, I find that my own performance during the mission was well within acceptable standards, though I do have some minor critiques regarding my follow teammates".

Peridot stopped walking and turned around to cast a professional eye over her three teammates who were walking along the root right behind her.

"Jasper, unsurprisingly, failed to heed my initial warnings and charged recklessly into battle without any pause for strategy. And sadly, the fact that she was ultimately successful in defeating the threat will undoubtedly go to her head"

Jasper, who was holding the bubbled gem in her right hand, groaned and rolled her eyes in disgust at Peridot's assessment, having to endure one every time they had completed a mission.

Peridot then moved on to Steven, who was standing by Jasper's heel, staring into his open hands with a happy expression, marvelling at the sight of a brightly coloured lady bug that was scurrying up and down his fingers.

"Steven maintained a safe distance during the battle, yet provided a suboptimal quantity of his usual emotional support due to the fact that he was distracted by his insistence on protecting a colourful insectoid creature that was nearby in the vicinity"

Steven took his eyes off the ladybug in his hands and glanced up at Peridot. "I'm sorry I didn't help out a lot, but I had to make sure that this little lady was safe and sound" he said, apologetic, but no less proud of himself for his chivalry.

He took the moment to examine the ladybug, which was now resting on the tip of his index finger with a pensive stare. "I think I'll call her….Bug Steven. Lady Bug-Steven. She's clearly got class"

Steven bent down to his knees and carefully released Lady Bug-Steven back onto the tree root, letting scurry along the bark before opening out her wings and flying away. With no other comment to add to that, Peridot then turned her attention to her final appraisee, Lapis who was hanging back behind Steven and Jasper, idly twisting away at a single green leaf between her two hands with a dour expression.

"Lapis, while providing excellent aerial recognisance, also did not offer much assistance, possibly due to the shortage of natural water in this area. I also could not help but judge her overall performance as being heavily uninterested and out of focus during the course of battle. And I strongly suspect she is not listening to my evaluation either"

"Huh, what?" Lapis said, surprised, looking up at Peridot as though she had forgotten there was anyone else around her. "Sorry, I wasn't listening

"Case in point" Peridot added into her screen, before deactivating it altogether.

"What's the matter Lapis?" Steven asked curiously, approaching the blue skinned Gem. "You've been acting kinda down lately"

Lapis sighed, tossing the small leaf away, watching as it sailed on a gust wind, over the edge of the giant root. "I'm sorry. I guess, I've just been thinking…"

"About what?" Steven asked.

"About the fight we had with Garnet"

Steven's face dropped instantly, and he felt his stomach start to churn very badly as though he ate something past the expiration date. It had been a couple of weeks since their battle with Garnet, but it was still a touchy subject. Once they returned to the Beach House that same evening, Steven had readily told the Crystal Gems the full story of how he met with both Sapphire and Ruby, and the events leading up to their reunion, but they were none the less thorough in their cross examination of him.

Both Jasper and Peridot in particular had grilled Steven for as much information as he could recall, wanting to know even the slightest detail. And later, when Steven tried to ask some questions of his own, they would either gave only a vague response or simply buckle down and refuse to discuss the matter further. But strangely, out of the three of them, Lapis had said or asked very little, remaining quiet and withdrawn throughout all the conversations.

"Why's the thing about Garnet still bothering you?" Jasper asked, walking closer to Lapis, doing her best not to look overly concerned.

"Because we got our butts kicked" Lapis mumbled miserably into her right shoulder.

"Strictly speaking, our butts were relatively unblemished" Peridot said, slightly defensive.

"We were caught off guard and we were unprepared" Jasper said, firm and to the point. "Fusions like her are always unpredictable. Next time, we'll know how to handle her"

"What do you mean, handle her?" Steven asked, looking up at Jasper hesitantly, very obviously not liking the wording of that sentence.

Jasper was about to answer him but knowing exactly how blunt she was and suspecting that her response would likely upset Steven even further, Peridot quickly rushed in between the two of them, giving Steven a wide smile.

"We, uh, just wish to ascertain wherever not Garnet is a threat to herself or to others, Steven". Peridot let out a nervous chuckle but seeing the troubled look on Steven's face, she cleared her throat and composed herself a little better.

"I know you think of Garnet as your, friend, Steven" she said, a bit more gently. "But please try to understand, that it would be tactically unwise for us to leave her to move about completely unchecked when we can't be certain of her intentions, even more so due to the fact that she is clearly a very powerful Gem. I mean, look at Jasper. She is begrudgingly our strongest team member and yet she even suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Garnet"

The atmosphere suddenly turned very cold and the wind seemed to have stopped to allow Peridot's statement to fully sink in. Jasper slowly turned her head in Peridot's direction, who appeared neither afraid or abashed by what she had just said, all the while oblivious to Jasper's murderous stare boring into the back of her diamond shaped head of hair.

"Steven, look down at your neck" Jasper said sharply, out of nowhere.

"My neck?" Steven instinctively did as Jasper asked and bent his head forward to view his own neck, but he found that all he could really see was his chest. In the brief time that Steven head was lowered and before he pulled it back up again, there was a swift rustling noise, followed by a startled cry, the sound of wood breaking and then a loud rumble than shook the entire tree root.

Steven turned his head back up in time to see Jasper and Lapis standing in the same place, but behind them, Peridot's upper body appeared to have been violently lodged into the bark of the tree root, her legs sticking out and kicking wildly in the air.

"Let's go" Jasper said briskly, as though nothing was out of the ordinary, continuing down the path of the root toward the toward the Warp Pad.

Sharing a knowing look of exasperation with each other, Lapis and Steven moved over to Peridot's trapped body, each of them grabbing one of her legs. As was their custom, Steven took the left one and Lapis took the right.

After Peridot had been freed, the three of them soon reach the end of the root and joined Jasper who was already waiting patiently on the Warp Pad for them. As they clambered onto the smooth crystalline surface, Peridot threw Jasper an indignant look, already contemplating the numerous ways she might pay the Quartz solider back in kind.

With all them together, the Warp Pad activated, sending the Crystal Gems up into the air in a beam of light

No matter how many times they went through this, Steven never got tired of it. It was like taking the world's greatest express elevator, the shards of light zooming past them in a brilliant aura. He took the moment to float around in the warp stream, enjoying the temporary sensation of weightlessness. Just then, Steven suddenly felt something very small wiggling along the top of his left ear. Reaching up behind his ear with his hand, he then felt a set of very tiny legs scurry onto the tip of finger.

"Ah, Lady Bug-Steven" he said coyly, pleasantly surprised at the sight of the little insect once again, recognising the same coloured pattern on her wings. "Did you follow me home?" Steven chuckled, watching as the adventurous little ladybug crawled up his hands, more than happy to have an extra passenger tag along with them.

Lady Bug-Steven opened out her wings and flew out of Steven's hands, circling around the warp stream, passing by each of the Crystal Gems in turn; Peridot glanced at the little insect with some curiosity, having never seen any Earth based creature to fly so comfortably inside a warp stream.

Lapis, who still appeared as melancholy and disinterested as before, didn't appear to notice the ladybug in the slightest, not so much as flinching as she buzzed past her face.

As Lady Bug-Steven drew closer to Jasper, the Quartz soldier gave the bug an unamused snarl to warn her away, which appeared to work as Lady Bug-Steven soon veered out around her, instinctively wanting to keep her distance.

The bug circled past Steven once more, and then flew up above their heads, toward the top of the warp stream, as though she was looking for a way out. She continued to fly around in circles until she started moving a straight directly towards the edge of the stream as though she intended to go through it.

"No, wait!" Steven cried, quickly becoming terrified. "You can't go out there!"

"Steven, don't!" Peridot yelled.

But Steven already did. Kicking with his legs, he propelled himself forward, using his arms like paddles to swim through the zero-gravity of the warp stream. Once he was close enough, he caught Lady Bug-Steven inside of his hands before she could reach the edge of the stream, being extra careful not to crush her by mistake.

"Got'cha!" he said. Steven smiled, happy that his friend was safe, but then realized that he was still moving towards the stream and had no means of stopping. He tried to right his body and bring himself to a halt, but was too late, the top of his head breaking through the warp stream and popping out on the other side.

The first thing that he felt was the sheer cold surrounding his ears, as though his entire head had just been shoved inside a freezer. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself drifting through an what appeared to be an endless, terrifying vortex. He had no idea where this place was or if it was even a place itself. But it was most definitely not a safe place.

Luckily the rest of his body seemed to stop moving when he burst through the stream, with only his head sticking out, the energy of the warp stream washing down his neck like a waterfall, though he wasn't sure if he couldn't actually feel anything from it.

Squinting his eyes, which were already beginning to sting with the cold, all he could see was an endless void of shadows in the shape of nebulous and blacked clouds, with an occasional cackle of lighting. There were numerous other warp streams aligned together in an integrate network, moving in different direction, like some great circulatory system of light and energy, surrounding the beating black heart of a thunderous storm cloud. Steven could briefly see the outline of some tiny round objects passing through each individual stream.

And that's when he saw it. In one of the warp streams that was nearest to them, the stream turned bright red like a streak of fire. Steven narrowed his eyes and could just barely see the outline of something black moving inside of the stream. Then in an instant the stream returned to its normal _teal_ colour and vanished.

"Wha-?"

Before Steven could figure out what he had had just seen, he felt something grab onto his left leg, which then pulled him back inside the stream. Once safely inside the stream again, Steven let out a huge gasp, not even noticing how out of breath he really was. Jasper, who had pulled him inside, was holding him upside down with her free hand wrapped around his tiny ankle. She released him again, allowing his body to correct itself in the zero-gravity. Lapis and Peridot quickly hovered over to Steven, checking him for any sign of injury.

"Steven, you have to be careful out there" Peridot said reproachfully. "There's very little oxygen and the temperature is well below acceptable standards for humans"

"Is Lady Bug-Steven okay?" Lapis asked, indicating to Steven's still clasped hands.

"What? Oh right" Remembering what had caused his whole excursion in the first place, Steven opened out his hands and to his relief, saw that Lady Bug-Steven was safe inside his palms. "She's ok, but there's something else. I saw something out there!

"What?" Lapis said, confused.

"Something warping!"

"Well, yes" Peridot said, matter-of-factly. "I have my robonoids out on their routine patrol. They're simply collecting data for me"

"No, it wasn't a robonoids. It was something else!" Steven insisted. "It was warping by itself out there, and whatever it was, it turned the whole warp stream red!"

"Red?" Jasper repeated, surprised. Steven nodded his head earnestly in response

Peridot let out a derisive chortle of laughter, as though Steven had said some kind of childish and misinformed joke. "Red? Steven, warp streams aren't red. They are teal coloured. That obviously must have been a brief after effect of the lighting that disrupted the input from your vision spheres. Plainly speaking, you were seeing things"

"But-"

"Enough" Jasper said abruptly, already getting tired of this discussion. "There's nothing out there that we need to be worrying about. Forget about it"

"But-" Steven started again, but Jasper silenced him with a single glare, making herself perfectly clear.

"Forget. It"

* * *

Sadly, Steven was unable to take Jasper's advice and forget what had happened today. Regardless of what she or Peridot said, Steven knew he had seen something strange in the warp stream. By the end of day, Steven was lying curled up in his bed, nervously wrapped in the blankets. He didn't know how late it was, but he hadn't been able to get even an ounce of sleep. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take his mind off what he had seen.

From his bed, Steven kept glancing down at the Warp Pad, resting in front of the Temple door, less than twenty feet away from him. If something was warping through the Warp Pads, then it could show up here at any moment in his very own home, whatever it was that he saw.

"Lapis?" he said.

"Oh, hi Steven" Lapis said.

"What are you doing up?"

"Nothing" she said vaguely, walking up the stairs to Steven's room, before taking a seat at the foot of his bed. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't sleep" he muttered into his blanket.

"Really? Me neither" Lapis said quietly, staring out over the house.

"You sleep?" Steven asked, looking up at her, surprised.

Lapis nodded her head. "I like to sleep sometimes. I mean, I don't need to do it, but I really like it. I find it to be really peaceful. You just lie back, letting your mind and body drift off, like your floating away on boat down a gentle, quiet stream that'll carry you somewhere peaceful

Steven smiled softly as he listened to Lapis' words, feeling his head fall back on his pillow, his eyelids beginning to grow heavier.

"But lately" Lapis continued, face darkening and her tone shifting with a far more ominous effect. "I can't get to sleep anymore. I'm not sure why. It's like, if I close my eyes it fells like I'm falling, like I'm being dragged down into an endless, crushing, suffocating dark chasm that I can't ever escape.

Lapis shivered a little, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as though cold. "Do you ever feel like that, Steven?" she asked, casually. Lapis turned to look at Steven, who was hiding behind every fold of blanket he could pull towards him, his eyes wide and unblinking, his face as white as a sheet, with sweating pouring down his forehead.

"No" he squeaked quietly.

"Oh" Lapis simply replied, looking neither surprised nor disappointed by his answer. "Well, ok then. Sorry to bother you. Good night".

And with that, Lapis walked down the stairs of Steven's bedroom and then back into the Temple, oblivious to the terror she had unintentionally instilled into Steven. From his bed, Steven gulped and took one more look down at the Warp Pad. No use in denying it any longer. He picked up his fully loaded water gun that was on the side of his and pumped the nozzle.

"Looks like I'm not sleeping tonight."

* * *

Early the next morning, the three Crystal Gems had found Steven lying at front of the door, sound asleep, the water gun in his lap. Granted, they weren't exactly sure why he was sleeping on the floor and not his own bed, but they were grateful nonetheless that he wasn't awake as that would spoil the surprise that they had ready for him.

"Steven! Steven, wake up!" With a giddy expression, Peridot crouched down in front of Steven's sleeping form and started repeatedly poking him in the forehead with the tip of her cylinder fingers. But despite her relentless prodding, Steven didn't stir. Peridot soon frowned with impatience at her lack of success. Moving in closer, she picked up one of Steven's drooping eyelids and peered inside, hoping to somehow examine his degree of consciousness from the disposition of his eyeball.

Steven suddenly sprang to life with a startled cry so loud it made Peridot retract back from him at once, as he opened fired with his water gun in a wild frenzy. Peridot narrowly side stepped the stream of water which was now flying in the direction of Lapis, who simply raised a single index finger in the air, altering the angle of the water and, perhaps unintentionally, re-directing the stream back at Peridot who received a face full of the splash, much to her chagrin.

Jasper, who was standing next to Lapis, both her arms tucked in behind her back, chuckled snidely at Peridot's soaked face.

"Nice shot" she said to Steven. "Guess you earn the cookie we made for you". Jasper pulled her arms out, holding giant chocolate chip cookie, the size of a car wheel, in one oven mitten hand.

"Why is it so big?" Steven asked, squinting his tired eyes at the cookie, unsure if he was seeing things or not.

"We kept arguing about how many you should get" Lapis explained, with a soft smile. "So, we decided to just let you have one, but we then decided to make it an extra big one"

"But now we going to have to re-evaluate your cookie privileges, both in quantity and size" Peridot said sternly, transforming her levitating digits into a rotating fan to dry her face.

"I'm sorry, Peridot" Steven said, sadly, sinking lower to the floor.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" Jasper said, noting Steven haggard expression.

Steven responded by letting out a long, tired yawn. "I guess not"

"What was preventing you from getting sleep?" Peridot asked, inquiringly

"It's about what happened yesterday" Steven admitted guiltily.

"What about yesterday?" Peridot asked, confused as to what Steven was referring to. Steven turned his head up her in surprise.

"You know? Yesterday, when we out on our mission"

"And….?" Peridot said slowly.

"When we were in the warp stream!"

Peridot blinked, still looking confused. She cast a questioning look over to Lapis, who merely shrugged in response. She then turned to Jasper, who was in the middle of taking a large, unapologetic bite out of Steven's cookie.

Peridot then looked over to a large glass jar that was sitting on the counter top in the kitchen. Inside the jar, housed the tiniest new addition to their home, who was now resting peaceful on a small bed of green leaves and twigs.

"Is there something wrong with Lady Bug-Steven?" Peridot said pointing at the jar. "I'm sure she's satisfied with her new accommodations"

"NO!" Steven snapped angrily. "I mean about what I saw outside the warp stream"

Peridot blinked again, and then threw her head back in burst of laughter. "Oh, that. You're concerned with that thing you mistakenly believe you saw in the warp stream yesterday but didn't actually see. That's quite a relief. I was worried it was something much more serious"

"But I did see something!" Steven said. "There was a red warp stream, and something was moving around it in"

Peridot crouched down in front of Steven once again, beaming at him with a kind of motherly, patronising smile

"Steven, your fears are a very natural and important survival instinct. But in this instance, they are very unwarranted and mildly inconvenient. Allow me to reiterate. There is no such thing as a red warp stream. And more over is the fact that nothing on Earth could possibly be using the Warp Pads except for the four of us and my robonoids"

"Well what about Garnet!?" Steven countered. "Can't she use the Warp Pads too?"

There was another awkward silence in the room, which seemed to have become the norm every time Garnet was brought up. Now looking far more alert and serious, Jasper unceremoniously shoved her partially eaten cookie into Lapis' hands. Peridot instinctively stood up and moved out of Jasper's way as she approached Steven, dropping down to one knee and staring at him with a steady gaze.

"Did you think it was Garnet that you saw yesterday?" she asked him, looking him dead in the eye. It wasn't a joke. It was a serious question.

Steven held Jasper's gaze and teetered on an answer, until he finally sighed, lowering his head. "No" he admitted truthfully. "I thought that it was something else. Can fusions make red warp streams?"

"First of all, no they cannot" Peridot said, levitating one of metal finger to stand in a perfectly vertical line. She then raised a second finger parallel to the first one. "And letter number B, red warp streams don't exist"

"There's be no sign of Garnet since our last fight" Jasper said, standing back up to tower over Peridot. She crossed her arms as she contemplated the situation. "Either she's lying low somewhere or she's keeping herself on the move"

"It would make more logical sense for her not to use the Warp Pads as to the avoid the risk of running into us by accident" Peridot said. "And even if she was using the Warp Pads, I would know about it."

"Hmph, then it couldn't have been her" Jasper said, rubbing her chin, though not looing entirely unconvinced.

"But wait a second, what if it was Garnet?" Lapis said, abruptly. Everyone in the room turned to look at the blue Gem in surprise. With half-eaten cookie still between her arms, she quickly rushed in between Peridot and Jasper. "And if it really is her, then we should go and take a look, shouldn't we? Just to be sure!"

"That would be a tremendous waste of time and energy" Peridot said, making it clear how much she disliked the such a suggestion.

"But we should still do it, just to be sure!" Lapis stressed, squeezing the half-eaten cookie between her arms so tightly that it began to crack. She moved closer to Jasper, looking up at her with a sense of impending urgency. "We need to-I mean, Steven needs to feel secure. He can't sleep because he's worried about what he saw. If we go and see that it was nothing, we'll know for sure, right? We can't take that chance"

Jasper stared down at Lapis' pleading face, her own expression as hard and uncompromising as always, like a parent unwilling to give into a child's begging. She turned to Peridot who shook her head and gave a sour look of disapproval. Finally, Jasper looked down at Steven again, giving him a hard stare.

"You really can't sleep, huh?" she said, sounding as close to sympathetic as she could be.

Steven slowly nodded his head in confirmation. Jasper sighed heavily, placing her hands on her hips, knowing there was only one way to settle this. "Fine. We'll check out the Warp Pads".

Steven smiled happily, while Peridot continued to scowl, mumbling under breath. Lapis simply lowered her head and let out a tense breath that she had been holding.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Steven and the Crystal Gems had been teleporting to each of the Warp Pads, stopping to check for any signs of strange activity, but no matter where they went or how long they spent there, they had found nothing out of the ordinary. Or at least nothing exceptionally out of the ordinary for the four of them. For the next stop on their tour, they arrived at the Sky Spire, where they had originally found the Heaven Beetle.

"Nothing here either" Jasper said, taking a brief survey of the area.

"Except, Steven Junior" Lapis said, pointing at the old goat whom Steven had adopted on their last outing, who was laying cuddled in the grass next to a female goat as well as several smaller, younger goats. "Hey, look at that, he's got a Steven Junior Junior of his own now"

"Guess that makes you a grandpa, huh, kid?" Jasper said, giving Steven a playful ruffle on his head.

"We're getting off task here" Steven said, sounding uncharacteristically impatient, swatting Jasper's hand away.

"A pointless task." Peridot muttered bitterly, looking quite fed up at this stage. "As I already said at the previous fifteen Warp Pads, this is a total waste of time and energy. We have found nothing just as I already predicted we would. There's nothing wrong with the Warp Pads. If there was, I would know"

"But you're wrong" Steven muttered, angrily rolling his eyes.

Peridot suddenly flushed at Steven's comment, looking almost indignant as she rounded on him. "I am not wrong, Steven. It is an objective fact that nothing on Earth can use the Warp Pads except for the four of us and my robonoids!"

"Unless it was something that came from space" Lapis said softy. Peridot threw her an angry glare, for both taking Steven's side in the argument and for making a legitimately valid point.

"Alright, that's it" Peridot said angrily, stamping her foot on the Warp Pad. "I am putting an end this farce!"

They all soon arrived at the Galaxy Warp. Peridot quickly marched off the Warp Pad before others and gestured out across the empty platform with her hand.

"Look, here are all the Warp Pads on the planet connecting us to other planets. If something was coming from space, it would be through here. Now let's examine the evidence, shall we?"

Peridot walked towards the largest Warp Pad, located center of the platform; just like the others it was cracked with obvious signs of damage.

"Now, as you can plainly see right here that this Warp Pad is severely damaged, thereby rendering it inoperable." Peridot picked up a chunk of the broken Warp Pad and threw it over her shoulder with a backhand gesture, where it landed at Steven's feet. He glanced down at it with an irritated expression as Peridot continued.

"Second, as further confirmation that this Warp Pad is inactive, it was diligently marked such, as will you note, by this icon of a weeping, grid-pattern compression disk". Peridot bent down and pointed to a sticker of a very sad looking cartoon waffle that was pressed onto the side of the Warp Pad. She straightened up again, folding her hands behind her back, as she turned away from the others.

"And this sticker was placed here by none other…. than Steven Quartz Universe!" Peridot turned around in an overly dramatic fashion and threw an accusing finger directly at Steven. From either side of him, Jasper and Lapis briefly glanced down at Steven, who groaned in annoyance.

"Oh, wait? Still not convinced?" Peridot said, with not so-subtle sarcasm. "Well let's test out the Warp Pad to be sure"

"Peridot…" Jasper warned, already getting impatient, but Peridot was not listening. With a kind of deranged smile, she stepped onto the Warp Pad, then turned to face Steven, Jasper and Lapis, folding her arms behind her back.

"Warp Pad, please activate and teleport me off the planet" she said, closing her eyes expectantly.

A long moment passed. Nothing happened. The Warp Pad did not power up and Peridot remained exactly where she was. Still smiling, Peridot opened her eyes and glanced around the Galaxy Warp, then up to the sky, as if to confirm that she was still on the same planet

"Oh, look at that!" she said, feigning shock as only Peridot could. "I'm still here. How very unsurprising!" Dropping her smile, Peridot walked off the Warp Pad and stood in front of Steven, Jasper and Lapis, folding her arms with a deadpanned, yet no less triumphant expression. "Satisfied?"

"Alright, you proved your point" Jasper said, not wanting to hear anymore of Peridot's rambling. "Nothing has been coming through these Warp Pads"

"But just because no one is using the Warp Pad doesn't mean nothing is coming through space!" Lapis said, with the same kind of anxious urgency she had displayed earlier. "Steven said that Sapphire came here to find Ruby. What if the reason we can't find Garnet is because she's not on Earth anymore? What if she-"

"We don't know that for sure" Jasper said sharply, quickly putting a firm hand on Lapis' shoulder which silenced her. "And even if they somehow got off the planet, there's no way the two of them could have gone back. Least not together"

"But can we really be sure!?" Lapis said, still sounding unconvinced, her emotions beginning to rise in her voice. "I mean, Steven might still need to feel secure"

"Steven is fine, Lapis" Jasper said curtly, gesturing at him. "Look at him. He's plenty secure"

"Of course he feels secure" Peridot said, closing her eyes in an self-assured expression of confidence and superiority. "He understands that he was wrong and obviously feels better now"

Steven had moved away from the Crystal Gems while they had been talking and was now kneeling in front of the Warp Pad, staring the waffle sticker he had placed there weeks ago. It was totally untouched, just like the rest of the Warp Pad. Everything Peridot said made total sense and he had no rational way of refuting it. But despite all that, despite knowing that he had no way of backing up his claim, Steven still knew he was right.

"I'm a little tired," he said after a moment's pause, before rounding angrily on the Crustal Gems. "Of you guys telling me how I feel! I know I saw something outside the stream!"

"And I know that you didn't!" Peridot snapped. "Do I have to bring up the cartoon waffle again?"

"Look, I'm telling you that I saw something, and you keep saying that I'm wrong. You keep acting like you know everything! How can you be so sure?!"

Peridot let out another angry groan. "You want to know how I'm sure? Fine!"

With a sour, yet very determined look, Peridot activated her finger-screen and inputted some sequence of information that she alone could understand. Less than a minute after she did this, the single functioning Warp Pad on which they arrived began to glow as a dozen of Peridot's flask robonoids descended upon the Galaxy Warp, moving in single file to standing in front of Peridot.

"As you know, I use my flask robonoids to patrol the Earth using the Warp Pads to keep a look out for any sign of Corrupted Gem activity" she said. "But immediately after our initial encounter with Garnet, I sent all of them into the warp stream on a special reconnaissance mission. For the weeks now, they've been keeping routine surveillance on the Warp Pad across the planet"

Images flashed across Peridot's screen of Warp Pads in different locations, all of which appeared untouched and vacant, save for one in the woods that was covered by a scurry of squirrels.

"Well, have you been watching all the Warp Pads?" Steven asked, defiantly.

"No, I don't have enough robonoids for that" Peridot admitted without hesttation. "But I do have enough to rotate between Warp Pad locations that have the highest statistical likelihood of encountering something if they were being used"

Steven was about to open his mouth to speak again, but Peridot refused to give him the chance as she sharply cut over him.

"Not a single one of my robonoids has malfunctioned, none of them are unaccounted for and I have thoroughly reviewed all their log information. I haven't been just keeping idle, Steven" she said, giving him a very serious look. "Nothing has been using the Warp Pads without me knowing. I wouldn't be making such statement if I didn't have the knowledge to back them up!"

"But it wasn't the robonoids!" Steven said, throwing his arms up in the air. Never before had he felt like such a broken record. "It was a red warp stream!"

"This is becoming an _increasingly_ derivative discussion" Peridot growled, narrowing her eyes at Steven.

"That's because you're not listening!" Steven snapped angrily.

"I did listen" Peridot said, quite calmly. She then bent down and locked eyes with Steven in an angry glare which he returned in kind. "Then I proved you wrong!"

Steven groaned, his fatigue and frustration now getting the better of him as he launched into a full blow argument with Peridot, each of them now shouting over the other, both trying to affirm that they were right.

"Should we… try and stop them?" Lapis hesitantly asked Jasper, looking visibly worried as Steven and Peridot were practically screaming at each other now.

"I honestly don't know who to root for" Jasper said with a very amused smirk as she couldn't help but enjoy this rather entertaining show before taking place before them. Lapis on the other hand, was most certainly not enjoying this show of hostility between Steven and Peridot, having never seen the two of them fight like this.

Lapis soon began feel a terrible, squirming feeling of uneasiness swelling up inside her body as Steven angrily rounded on Peridot once more.

"How many times do I have to say it?!" he said, stamping his foot, refusing to back down. "I saw something yesterday and it turned whole warp stream turned red"

"There is no such thing as a red warp stream!" Peridot said, stamping her own foot on the ground, in equal refusal.

"How do you know that?!" Steven shot back at her.

"I know, because I am right!"

"Well, what if you're wrong?!"

"If I'm wrong about these things, then that means we all are in very serious danger! Do you want me to be wrong?!"

That final statement proved to be the breaking point for Lapis. Her eyes widened as they snapped to the broken Warp Pad that was behind Peridot and Steven. Trembling, Lapis slowly retreated back few steps, her eyes locked onto the Warp Pad.

Jasper was in the middle of another amused chuckle when she soon noticed Lapis backpedalling. Dropping her smirk and looking concerned, Jasper was about to ask Lapis what was wrong, when her face suddenly flushed with her terror. Closing her eyes shut, Lapis clasped her hands over her head, as if to block out some terrible sound before she turned about face and ran away from the group, stopping at the very edge of the Galaxy Warp.

Jasper watched with surprise as Lapis stormed off. For a moment, she looked to be at a complete loss as to what to do or say, as if she couldn't decide whether or not to go after Lapis. Jasper then turned back to Peridot and Steven, who were still in the middle of their argument, oblivious to Lapis' sudden reaction. Realizing at once what had set Lapis off, Jasper decided that the entertainment of this entire escapade was official over.

With a stern scowl and supreme authority, Jasper marched forward toward the still ranting Peridot and Steven, thrusting herself right between the two of them.

"Alright, enough!" Jasper roared, so loud it silenced them both instantly. "Both of you need to step back and shut up!"

"But, I didn't-" Peridot began.

Jasper roughly grabbed Peridot by the shoulder, squeezing her so tight that it cut her off from speaking again.

"Shut. Up." Jasper repeated in a lower, more dangerous tone, pulling Peridot in closer. Giving a brief jerk of her head, Jasper indicated over to Lapis, who was still standing alone at the edge of the platform, far away from the rest of them. Peridot's face paled when she saw her and she placed her hand over her mouth, already realizing what she had done.

Steven likewise settled down once he noticed that Lapis was now standing by herself, hugging her arms around her body tightly, practically shivering as she stared down at the water below, which now churning violently in form a relentless whirlpool that appeared out of nowhere.

With an almost fearful expression, Jasper slowly approached Lapis, who made no acknowledgement of Jasper's presence as she stood next to her. Jasper her raised her hand as though to touch Lapis on the shoulder, but hesitated, looking very unsure of herself. After a moment, she took a quick breath to steady herself, before she finally placed her hand on Lapis shoulder as gently as she could. Lapis turned to face Jasper, faint tears forming in her eyes.

"There's nothing here and there's nothing using the Warp Pads" Jasper said firmly, not betraying any sense of doubt. "We're safe."

Lapis held Jasper's gaze for a moment, before she gulped and nodded her head, accepting her answer without question, although she didn't look entirely reassured, returning to stare down at the water below. Steven slowly approached the two of them, intending to say something to Lapis, but was soon silenced when Jasper turned to glare at him.

"And we are going home, now!"

* * *

It was now late in the evening time, the sun having already gone down hours ago. Steven was alone in the living room, sitting crossed legged on the floor directly in front of the Warp Pad, a small bowl resting on his lap. His eyes were even more blood shot than before, his face much more haggard, as he still not gotten any sleep since they returned, but he refused to take his eyes off the Warp Pad.

He didn't care what Jasper or Peridot said; he knew he was right. Before he was too afraid to sleep. Now, he simply didn't want to. He wanted to meet the mysterious thing face to face, expecting it to appear on the Warp Pad at any moment.

The front door creaked opened as Lapis entered into the living room, still looking as melancholy as ever. She soon spotted Steven in front of the Warp Pad.

"Hi, Steven" she said quietly, as approached. She took a seat on the floor beside him. She gestured down to the bowl on his lap. "What are you eating?"

"Macaroni and nothing" he answered bitterly, stuffing a spoonful of the food into his mouth, not even bothering to turn around to look at her.

"You're still thinking about the thing you saw in the warp stream" Lapis said. It wasn't really a question. More like a despondent observation.

"Yeah" Steven said, shrugging indifferent.

Lapis sighed and looked off to one corner of the room. "Steven, don't you think, that maybe you should just let this go? I mean, look at what it's doing to you. You can't sleep, you're getting into fights with Peridot. This whole…thing isn't good for you. You need to stop dwelling on this"

There was a long silence. Behind them, Lady-Bug Steven was fluttering away inside of her glass jar, tapping away at the glass surface as though she was agitated in some way.

"Do you believe me?" Steven asked softly.

"What?" Lapis said in surprise, turning to look at Steven, who eyes were still on the Warp Pad.

"You never said anything about it earlier. Did you believe me when I told you I saw something?" Steven turned to look at Lapis, his eyes still looking horribly red. Lapis held Steven's gaze for a moment before turning away and looking straight ahead at the Temple door.

"Peridot and Jasper said we are safe, so that means we are" she said very steady and with absolute resolve, keeping her eyes firmly on the door and nothing else. Her hands gripped the helm of her skirt tightly. "No matter what. We are safe"

"I know they said that" Steven sighed wearily, but still keeping himself firm. "But I know I saw something"

"You didn't see anything, Steven" Lapis said, her voice dropping lower.

"I did" Steven repeated. "I don't know what, but it was there and I saw it and-"

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!" Lapis snapped loudly, springing to her feet so fast that it made Steven practically jump from where he was sitting, complete taken back by Lapis sudden outburst. Lapis towered over Steven, glaring down at him fiercely and yelling at him as though he were someone else entirely, someone that she truly despised. "There was nothing out there and you were just seeing things. You're wrong, ok! You _have_ to be wrong!"

Lapis turned her back to Steven, giving him full view of her exposed blue gemstone. "Everything was fine before all this happened. We were all so happy, but now all you want to do is to keeping thinking about this stupid thing!" Lapis whirled around again, giving Steven a desperate and frustrated expression. "You're just acting like a….like a pathetic little sad stack!"

Steven said nothing and stared back at Lapis as her words sank. If he was hurt by statement, he didn't show it, as he appeared just as tired and drained as before.

"Then, I guess I'll stay here and be a sad stack then" Steven said, grumpily stuffing some more Marconi into his mouth and returning to his vigil over the Warp Pad.

Lapis stared down at Steven for another moments, speechless, before she finally turned away from him and marched past the Warp Pad, into the Temple door without so much as a backwards glance at him as the door closed behind her.

Alone once again, Steven continued to stare at the Warp Pad with the same tired expression as before. He slowly lifted another spoonful up to his mouth but then paused before tossing the spoon to the floor in anger.

"Ugh! Why am I doing this?" Steven sighed. He set the bowl of macaroni-and-nothing down on the floor, before standing back up again and shouting up to the celling.

"Fine. I give up! Steven was wrong and everyone else and especially Peridot was right! Nothing's going to come through that Warp Pad!"

Throwing his hands up in frustrated defeat, Steven walked away from the Warp Pad and headed toward his bed. Even if he was wrong, that wouldn't stop from finally getting some much-needed sleep.

But just as he was halfway through the living room, Steven stopped when he started to hear something; a slight banging noise coming from above his head. Confused, Steven glanced up to ceiling, noticing a sprinkle of dust beginning to fall down from one isolated spot of the roof, as if something was hitting away against

After a moment, the banging then stopped and was replaced by a loud whirling sound. In an instant, thin red laser shot through the wooden ceiling, just barely missing Steven's foot as he jumped back to avoid it. The laser cut clearly through the ceiling, moving in perfect circle, until a round piece of wood dropped to the floor at Steven's feet. He glanced down at the piece of wood and then back up to the freshly cut hole in his celling.

With no pause for an invitation, a black, square cube, roughly the same size as a small television set, slowly descended down from the hole and into the Beach house, stopping to hover in mid-air, a few feet off the floor, directly in front of a stunned looking Steven; in the center of the cube's face was a bright red sphere, much like an eyeball, that was staring right at Steven.

For a few seconds, Steven stared at the strange black cube with a blank expression, having no idea what to make of this surprise visitor. But then his face broke into a mad grin and he let out a triumphant, almost insane sounding laughter as he came to a single brilliant conclusion.

"You were the thing in the warp stream!" Steven said to the black cube; he had no idea if it could understand him, but it just felt so good to say that. "You did come from space! What the heck are you?"

The cube gave no response to Steven's question, other than to give a slight humming noise. Steven had never seen anything like this cube before. It appeared to be made of some kind of metal, but the surface area was so smooth and sleek it looked almost unnatural. It was black in colour, like a deep shade of ink, with the exception of the red eye in the center of its front most face as well as a set of horizontal and vertical red lines that stretched along the sides of the cube, dividing each face of it into four squares.

The cube hovered closer to Steven, its red eye blinking at him several times. In a flash of light, the cube fired a grid patterned laser beam from its eye that washed over Steven's entire body several times.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Steven raised his arms above his chest in an attempt to cover himself, just as the cube finished its scan. Now seeming to have lost all interest in Steven, the cube then hovered over into the kitchen area, firing another scanning laser the glass jar containing Lady-Bug Steven. It then moved to do the same thing to the fridge, as well as other items in the kitchen.

Steven watched in the cube with a curious expression, wondering what it could be doing as it continued to scan various objects throughout the house, until a sudden realization came to his mind. Steven glanced back over his shoulder, to the one thing in the room the cube had yet to scan

"You're looking for the Warp Pad, aren't you?" he said.

The cube had just finished scanning MC Bear-Bear, when it turned around and hovered over the top of Steven's head, moving toward the Warp Pad. Instinct kicking in, Steven took a running start and leapt up into the air and landed on top of the cube, holding onto either side of it.

"Nice try, but I'll never let you on the Warp Pad!" he vowed valiantly, failing to register the fact that his efforts had no real effect on the cube's mobility as it remained in the air, despite the extra weight.

Yet surprisingly, the cube did stop moving, remaining stationary in front of the Warp Pad. The cube then released another scanning laser that swept over the Warp Pad. Steven raised his hand in front of the cube's red eye in an attempt to block the laser and stop it from doing whatever it was doing, but his effort appeared to be in vain. The cube completed its scan and now began to beep loudly, like some kind of time, until finally it stopped. Then it began to hum loudly, its red eye glowing, the red lines along its side beginning to light up as well.

He had no idea what this meant, but Steven had very bad feeling about this. Before he figure out what to do, there was a familiar chiming noise as the Temple door opened up again, with Lapis striding out of from it, a guilty expression plastered on her face as she spoke very rapidly.

"Steven, I'm sorry for what I said before, I shouldn't have yell at you like that, I was just -Steven?" Lapis stopped dead in the middle of her apology, taking the moment to stare in dumb surprise at the sight of Steven, riding the floating black cube in front of the Warp Pad. Admittedly, this was not the strangest situation she had walked in to find Steven.

Steven offered Lapis a nervous smile and was about to try to come up with kind of explanation, when the black cube stopped blinking. The red eye began glow brightly as the cube released a string of red-coloured electricity from its core that surrounded both it and Steven. The air around the cube began to vibrate, and Steven just caught one last glimpse of Lapis' terrified face before both he and the cube disappeared in a flash crimson beam of light that travelled through the ceiling and up into the sky.

Steven let out a yell, holding onto the cube for dear life as it pulled him upwards through the sea of red energy at an extremely fast pace. While it may have looked strange, Steven knew instantly where he was; in the middle of a warp stream, but it was unlike any warp he had ever experienced.

Before, it felt he was floating gently through space, but in here, everything felt so heavy and intense, like his body was being squeezed inside a giant vice. Steven had no idea where this stream was taking him, but he refused to let go of the black cube.

But then to Steven's surprise, a dozen more of the black cubes appeared inside the warp stream, all them gathering around Steven, or rather gathering around the cube he was holding.

"Hey, what are you doing" Steven said, as the cubes began to draw closer to him, pressing up against his body, as if trying to squeeze the life out of him.

Beginning to panic, Steven pulled as hard as he could on the cube he was holding and flung his body to the side in order free himself from the crushing embrace of the other cubes, but in the process both he and the cube were pushed outside of the warp stream into the void. Floating away through the empty space, Steven watched as the red warp stream vanished once again, leaving him totally stranded and helpless. The freezing temperature washed over Steven almost instantly, his body already starting to shiver from the cold.

"I was right" he whispered, using what little air there was, still keeping the black cube secure in his hands as they started to go numb. "And now I'm gonna die... a tired, frozen little... sad sack."

Slowly losing all sensation in his body, Steven let out a tiny gasp and felt his eyelids become heavy again; he suddenly was reminded of how very tired he was. Maybe now he could finally get some sleep

Just before his eyes closes completely, he saw the brief glimpse of a teal warp stream appearing in front of him and then the blurry streak of something blue coming straight toward him. The next thing Steven knew, he was caught by a pair of blue arms that wrapped around his body. Steven felt his body fly through the void, veering around and then returning to the safety of the warp stream.

As soon as he was back in the stream, Steven felt the cold air disappear and the oxygen return to his lungs as he began to gasp loudly, cuddle inside a pair of blue arms.

"It's ok, I got you" said an all too familiar voice. "Just breath"

"Lapis?" Steven wheezed, coughing slightly, looking up at her from the front of her chest, his vision returning to normal.

"Just breath" Lapis replied firmly. She reached down and took the black cube that was still in his arms. "So this is what you saw" she said, eyeing the strange cube was an dark glare. Lapis looked back at down Steven, shamefaced.

"I'm so sorry" she said, remorseful, hugging him even tighter, resting her chin on the top of his head, tears streaming down her face. "You were right. You were right this whole time and we should have listened to you!"

"I don't care about" Steven said, now crying himself.

"But you were right!" she choked out, breaking away to look him dead in the eye, her faced flushed with sadness and guilt. "Because I really did believe you the whole time. But I didn't want to agree. I was too afraid. I was so afraid something bad was about to happen. I thought if I said anything then it would come true. But it didn't matter if I said it or not. It happened regardless. I shouldn't have been trying to ignore it".

Lapis turned away, disgusted by her own cowardice. "I'm just a big sad sack" she said quietly, sounding miserable.

Steven was about to offer another word of condolence until they were joined in the stream by Jasper and Peridot.

"Steven, are you ok?" Peridot said frantically. "Lapis said she wanted to apologize to you, but then she said you went into the warp stream. I sent the robonoids to track you down, but they couldn't find you for some reason and there was big black scorch mark in the kitchen for some reason and-what is that?" Peridot immediately ceased her ranting, her face dropping into a wide eye expression the moment she saw the black cube that Lapis holding.

Lapis passed the strange cube over to Jasper, who was looking it with hostile suspicion, before Peridot quickly snatched it out of her hands, examining the cube from all sides and angles as though she had never seen anything like it before.

"I don't understand" she whispered. "What is this thing? How can it be using the Warp Pads? Why didn't my robonoids report this back to me?"

"It wasn't using the Warp Pads" Steven said, his voice a little raspy. "It can warp all by itself!"

Peridot looked up from the cube to gape at Steven, at a complete loss for words. "What? But that's….that's not…"

"Where was it going?" Jasper cutting in at once, with a commanding tone.

"I think I know" Lapis said, glaring up at the top of the warp stream.

Soon enough, the four of them arrived back at the Galaxy Warp. Jasper disembarked first, taking a cautionary glance in every direction, looking for any sign of danger. After giving her some quick reassurance that he was fine, Lapis set Steven down onto the ground, the two of them following after Jasper.

Peridot however, remained behind on the Warp Pad still far too engrossed with the little black cube, prodding away at it with her metal finger as she tried to unravel its secrets.

"What kind of shell is this?" she growled. "Must some an interface somewhere and…..aha! Found it!" With a triumphant grin, Peridot inserted one of her fingers into one a small socket that was underneath of the cube's red eye.

"Now, I'll just interface with it and see what this thing is really-"

The red eye of the cube lit up at once; Peridot's smile soon faded as the eye fired a red beam of energy directly into her chest, blasting off her feet and sending her crashing into one of the damage Warp Pads, chunks of it breaking apart as she collided with the crystalline structure. The cube, now hovering in the air by itself, started moving toward the downed Peridot, its eye glowing as it prepared to fire at her once more.

Before the cube could let off another attack, Jasper quickly rushed in from behind and headbutted the cube into the ground with her crash helmet before it could do any more damage. The impact was enough to crack the surface of the cube, as it lay side, tiny red sparks firing out from its damaged eye.

"Peridot, are you ok?" Steven asked with concern as he helped her back up.

"I'll be fine" Peridot said, with a slight cough, rubbing her chest. Despite that grievous setback, her eyes were soon focused once more on the immobile black cube at Jasper's feet, having intent of trying to examine it again.

But before Peridot had the chance to get neat the cube, the sky above the Galaxy Warp soon lit up as a dozen more rays of crimson beams began to rain down upon the them, but the beams did not strike any of the vacant Warp Pads. Instead they were landing in random locations around the Galaxy Warp, each one dropping another black cube and each one accompanied by a loud booming cackle as they dissipated, like a clap of thunder.

"Where are they all coming from!?" Steven shouted, jumping out of the way as a red warp stream struck the ground beside him. Eventually, the beams finally stopped, and the Galaxy Warp was now swarming with numerous black cubes, hovering in the air like a kind of plague.

The Crystal Gems quickly grouped together in a tight formation, weapons at the ready and covering each other's backs, expecting an imminent attack any second. But the cubes did not appear to have taken any notice of them. Instead, they all began to move tot he center of the platform, towards the largest Warp Pad.

As they gathered around it, eight of the cubes hovered closer to the Warp Pad, each one firing a laser that scanned over a different section of the damaged crystal. The cubes then began to beep, like some kind of strange orchestra, processing whatever information they had just retrieved from their scan.

"What are they doing?" Steven asked aloud, half expecting the Crystal Gems to say something, but they appeared to be just as lost as he was.

The cubes stopped beeping, all of them going silent. Seconds later, the red eyes on each of the cubes began to glow once again before they all fired another beam of energy directly into the Warp Pad, yet the crystal did not shatter from the impact. Instead, the Warp Pad seemed to be absorbing the energy from the beams, which turned the colour of the crystal from teal to red until finally the Warp Pad released a beam of red energy up into the sky

Steven was about to ask what was happening, but he suddenly felt Jasper's huge arm wrap around his waist and lift him off his feet, as he and Jasper, along with Peridot and Lapis, quickly ducked down into the open crevice surrounding the center of the Galaxy Warp.

No sooner than they had moved out of sight, the red beam from the Warp Pad dissolved into the air, the black cubes now remaining stationary in the air surrounding, as two unknown figures appeared to stand in the center of the Warp Pad.

The one to the right was a tall, skinny, yet elegant looking physique, with pure white skin, red hair; in the center of their head, was an oval shaped gemstone. They were wearing a black coloured dress and frilly skirt, with black legging that reached up to their upper thigh and with matching, finger less gloves that stretched past their elbows.

The second visitor was a smaller and rounder looking being, with purple skin and long, spikey white hair that looked distinctly to Jasper's own. They were even wearing a similar looking body suit, with a slight difference in colour. A bright purple gem was visible on the middle of their chest, just below the shoulder line.

"Whoa!" the small one said in amazement, surveying the entire Galaxy Warp. She elbowed the taller being in the leg, nearly knocking them off the Warp Pad in surprise. "Check it out, Pearl. It worked like a charm"

"Yes, a successful test run" the one named Pearl replied, clearly satisfied, although nowhere near as enthusiastic as her compatriot. "Let me just mark that down on the list". Pearl pulled out a small rectangular device, which soon expanded out to form a holographic display that which several illegible markings on it. Pearl began to carefully tab at the display with a single finger.

The smaller one bent down and tapped their foot on the surface of the Warp Pad, noting the obvious cracks. "Hey, how come the Homeworld Warp looks all broken?"

"Amethyst, please" Pearl said, with a weary sigh. "The Hexahedroids do not fix the Warp Pads. They themselves can act as portable Warp Pads. Once they've mapped and recorded the appropriate locations in their database, they can teleport any Gem anywhere on a planet. But they still have limitations with interplanetary travel. Luckily for us, the base of the Homeworld Warp was still intact, allowing them to manually override it. Weren't you listening when all this was explained?

"Think you just reminded me why I wasn't listening, Pearl" Amethyst replied, nonchalantly picking her own nose with her pinkie finger.

"That one's name is Amethyst and the other one's name is Pearl" Steven whispered to Jasper, listening to every word the two mysterious visitors were saying, peering up at them from the edge of the crevice.

"Good observation" Jasper whispered back to Steven; she may or not have been sarcastic in that remark. Her eyes were focused on the two Gems still standing on the Warp Pad, watching their every move like a hawk, looking ready to jump at them at the slightest hint of provocation. Beside her, Peridot and Lapis appeared far more intimated and fearful of the two invaders

With holographic display still in her hands, Pearl slowly and gracefully walked down the steps of the Warp Pad, keeping her eyes down on her list. "Ok, now next step on the list is to run a system check of the remaining-"

"Ahem!"

Pearl stopped half way down the steps, slowly turned back around to Amethyst, who was standing with a cocky smile, her arms crossed. "Um, hello? This is my mission remember? I'll decide what we do next"

"You may be my escort, but I'm the one with the assignment list!" Pearl replied with a faint hint of indignation, while tapping her hologram smarty with one slim finger.

Amethysts snorted, waving her hand dismissively. "So, what's next on the list?" she asked, putting an exaggerated face of disgust at the last word.

"The next step is to run a system check of the Hexahedroids to ensure they are still functioning after the warp stream override" Pearl said, as she continued down the steps, walking along the outer platform, obviously drawing closer to where Steven and the Crystal Gems were hiding. Behind him, Steven felt Jasper beginning to tense up, getting ready to pounce.

"After that we need to do some more test runs around the planet. Then we-"

Pearl yelped loudly as she nearly toppled over, just barely making to recover before she hit the ground. From the Warp Pad, Amethyst let out a boisterous chortle of laughter at her companion's near collapse. Surprised and just a little embarrassed, Pearl straightened herself up before looking down to see the cause of her misstep.

"What's this?" she said, sounding surprised. Down at her feet was one of the Hexahedroids, which Steven quickly recognised as the one that Jasper had headbutted earlier. Despite its damage, it still appeared to operational as it was making several feeble attempts to take flight, wanting to join its brethren in the air, but unable to manage move forward any more than a few inches at a time before falling down again.

With a curious expression, Pearl bent down and picked up the cracked cube, carefully running her hands along the damaged area. She then turned to Amethyst.

"Did you break this?" Pearl asked. She gave Amethyst a suspicious look, one that would suggest such an act of vandalism would not be out of the ordinary for her character.

"Don't look at me, I didn't touch it" Amethyst said, throwing her hands up. "Been up here the whole time"

"Hmm, that is odd" Pearl said. "All the other drones appear to be perfect working order, but this one seemed to have malfunctioned for some reason. Maybe it overloaded itself from excess warping. Oh dear, and here I thought this was going to be perfectly successful field test" she said, sounding quite disappointed. "Now, I'm going to have mark that down as well"

"It's just one broken bot, no big deal" Amethyst said, with casual shrug. "Here, I'll take care of it".

Striding off the Warp Pad and without pausing to register Pearl's protest, Amethyst snatched the Hexahedroid out of her hands. Taking up a stance on the outer platform, she tossed the droid upwards and watched as it came back down toward her.

With a sly grin, Amethyst then reached up to the gemstone in the center of her chest and grasped freshly materialized handle, pulling it out to reveal a purple braided whip a good several feet in length. With a mighty heave and a painful sounding snap, she flexed the whip down in a straight line, slicing the airborne cube clean half.

From his hiding spot, Steven grimaced slightly. Part of him hoped that those cubes couldn't feel pain, since that looked like it hurt a lot.

Amethyst threw her head back and slapped her knee as she broke into a fit of uproarious laughter at the destruction she had just caused, as the broken pieces of the cube clattered to the ground, while Pearl on the other hand, gaped in horror at what she had done, looking completely aghast.

"That was a highly advanced piece of prototype technology!" Pearl picked up the pieces of the ruined Hexahedroid and brandishing them at Amethyst as if to make her understand the severity of what she had done, but Amethyst merely shrugged again, looking as unconcerned as ever.

"It's junk, now. Besides, you said it was broken anyway"

"Yes, but if we took it back we may have determined the cause of its malfun….oh never mind" Defeated and resigned, Pearl dropped the pieces of the Hexahedroids to the ground. She pulled back out her hologram. "Let's just move on. It's exactly my luck with an escort that's so-"

"So what? Reckless? Unprofessional? Fun!?" Amethyst yelled, completely unabashed, while flexing her arms in a smug pose.

"If those are the adjectives you prefer" Pearl muttered dryly under her breath. "In any case, after we run a full diagnostic check on the remaining Hexahedroids warping capabilities, we can then move on to check the status of the Prime Kindergarten and-"

"Yo, Pearl, check this out"

Annoyed at being interrupted yet again, Pearl groaned as she turned around to see Amethyst, now crouching down in front of the Warp Pad, staring at something out of view. Pearl walked back to the Warp Pad with a disinterested expression, but that soon changed once she got a proper look at what Amethyst was trying to show her.

The moment the two invaders had their backs turned, Jasper was already half way out from the crevice, until Peridot quickly grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her back down, frantically shaking her head. With great reluctance, Jasper relented and lowered herself back down into the crevice

Craning his neck up from the edge of the crevice, Steven could just barely make out what had caught the two Gems attention; it was his own cartoon waffle sticker, still stuck on the side of the Warp Pad.

"What the heck is it?" Amethyst said, peering at the small sticker with great interest.

"I have no idea" Pearl replied, crouching down next to her, looking a little more serious. "What is it doing on the Homeworld Warp?"

"Dunno" Amethyst said absently, her eyes still on the sticker. "Looks kinda cool though?"

Pearl rolled her eyes and sighed wearily. "Yes, cool. But I would I'd imagine that a responsible escort in charge of a very important assignment would understand that this is typically not a normal thing to find a on a Warp Pad, which may indicate that this site might have been compromised and is worth reporting back before we continue."

The was a short pause as Pearl waited for Amethyst to respond. When she failed to, Pearl spoke again, in a slightly more serious tone. "Particularly, when you remember _who_ it is, we are reporting back to"

That final statement was enough to snap Amethyst to full attention, as she suddenly becoming much more alert and focused. "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely". Amethyst stood up again, adopting a much more serious tone and expression as she pulled the waffle sticker off the Warp Pad.

"We gotta report back, the uh, thing here, so we can….you know, be sure it's ok and stuff. Let's go Pearl!" she said, marching up the steps and back onto the Warp Pad.

"And the Hexahedroids?" Pearl asked, deadpanned.

Amethyst stopped in her tracks, quickly losing her tough façade as she fumbled at the question. "Oh, yea, we should, uh…."

"Do you mean to say I should send them back out to patrol the rest of the planet until we return?" Pearl finished, with a veteran's skill at subtle patronization.

Amethyst stared at Pearl for a long moment, before shrugging, reverting to her previous laid-back attitude. "I mean, whatever's cool, I guess"

Pearl sighed once again and shook her head, before stepping back onto the Warp Pad to join Amethyst. Pearl then tabbed the screen of her holographic display once more.

Registering the command, Hexahedroids gathered around the Warp Pad just as before and fired their concentrated beams into the base of the crystal, which teleported both Pearl and Amethyst back to wherever they came from.

As soon they were gone, the Hexahedroids began to warp away one by one, until the Galaxy Warp was deserted once again.

With the coast finally clear, the Crystal Gems came from their hiding places, slowly gathering around the now deserted Galaxy Warp.

"Those were other Gems" Steven said, in both fear and wonder. "Where did they come from? What were they doing here?"

"This doesn't make any sense" Jasper muttered, placing her hands flat on the surface of the Warp Pad. "Why are they coming back? Why now?"

"They actually developed portable Warp Pad technology!" Peridot said, kneeling down next to the destroyed Hexahedroid. "That's not possible. That shouldn't _be_ possible. What other advancements have they made since we've been gone? How could I be this far behind? Oh my stars, oh my stars, I cannot handle this!" Peridot stood up again, grabbing fistfuls of her own yellow hair as she started hyperventilating, pacing back and forth, appearing to be in the middle of nervous breakdown, losing all sense of control.

"What did they mean by the Kindergarten?" Steven asked, not understanding the terminology. "Are they going to come back. Are they going to bring more Gems with them?"

"There's nothing of value left for them on Earth" Jasper said, frustrated, as she stared at the surface of the Warp Pad, unable to comprehend their enemies' motives. "What could they be here for? What are they trying to do?"

"It doesn't matter…"

Steven, Jasper and Peridot immediately ceased their questions, all of them turning around in unison to see the only one of their number who was not panicking. Lapis was standing away from the group, her arms spread out in striking and terrifying pose, the wind ruffling through her hand. Her eyes were now gone, each replaced a sheet of clear glass. There was no trace of fear or doubt in her form. Just an unrestrained, furious sense of will and purpose.

"They are NOT coming back here!" she cried fiercely.

The Galaxy Warp began to shake as if an something was pounding at from the sea. Two massive arms made of water rose up out of the ocean, towering on either side of Lapis. Curling her own hands into fists, the water arms mimicked her movements. With a heavy grunt, Lapis then thrust her arms down, as the colossal water arms did the same, aiming directly for the Warp Pad in the center of the Galaxy Warp.

Steven, Jasper and Peridot had only seconds to scramble away from the Warp Pad, as the two mighty fists came crashing down upon it simultaneously, hitting it with so much force that it the Galaxy Warp shook, with several large fissures and cracks spreading out from the center. The watery fists retracted again and dissolved away into the ocean. Once they were gone, the four Crystal Gems could get a clear view of what had been done.

The Warp Pad that Pearl and Amethyst had used to travel here was no more, smashed into a thousand tiny pieces, practically nothing but powder, and without even a shred of doubt, ruined beyond any hope of repair. That was the end of it.

They _hoped_ that was the end of it.


	8. Be There

If there was ever a time to lose hope, to give into despair, to accept the crushing weight of the inevitable, it was now. That was the fate of anyone who dared to stand against the unbeatable putting goliath that was, Mr G; a mutant of golf experimentation, created by the diabolical PARSOL corporation. He was a hulking figure, at least feet tall, lined with muscle and completely bald, his skin had been transformed into the skin a golf ball, making him virtually invincible. His weapon of choice was two club-like 9-irons in each hand, attached to chains wrapped around his arms. Only a fool would dare face him.

But luckily, champion golf quester Ace Sunkin was one such fool. He had never given up a battle, no matter how many strokes under par he was. Down to his final ball and the last ounce of energy in his power bar, he prepared to gamble all his hopes into one more swing. Charging up his ultimate attack, his stance ready, he timed his shot for the right moment and swung hard, launching a voltaic golf ball of energy right at Mr G.

The ball exploded on impact. Letting out a mighty bellow, Mr G. dropped to his knees, his tough shell cracking open and with one final death rattle, he crumbled to pieces.

"Yay" Steven said, with half-hearted enthusiasm. He let out tiny sigh as the TV screen now change to applaud him for his victory at defeating the extra super-secret final boss of Golf Quest Mini II for what might have been the third time in a row. Who would have thought playing video games all day would get so dull after a while?

The screen changed again as the mastermind of the PARASOL corporation, Agent D. Ivot appeared. He was mysterious man with a shrouded past of mystery, dressed in a black trench coat, dark sunglasses, an emotionless scowl across his face; no other man had ever looked so evil and intimidating in golf pants.

"This isn't over, Ace" Steven read out, adopting a more sinister voice as Agent D. Ivot taunted the heroes on their victory. "You may have won today, but you will never stop my plans to transform this world into the ultimate golf ball!"

"I will stop you" Ace shot back at his arch enemy. "I'll show you that golf isn't meant to be used for evil! I'll alter your perspective!"

Steven sighed again, leaning up against his bed frame, as the credits began to roll. "Part of me kinda wishes that Agent D. Ivot will see the error of his ways someday. But then again, maybe that's being too optimistic?"

Sitting alone in his loft bedroom, Steven began to wonder how the others were doing. Jasper and Lapis were currently out on patrol, searching for the strange black cubes that had come to the Earth a few days ago. There had been no sign of the two Gems, Pearl and Amethyst, since they had disappeared, but the atmosphere around the house was no less tense. The Crystal Gems appeared to be on edge, more so than usual. It was just like what happened after Garnet, only now they seemed to be ten times as worried as they were previously. And as usual, Steven couldn't help but feel like he was being kept out of the loop. He wanted to ask them what was wrong, but he felt like he might be pushing it. Now wasn't the right time for questions.

While Jasper and Lapis were gone, Peridot, meanwhile, had been cooped inside her room in the Temple for days, working none stop to analyze the cubes, trying to figure out just exactly how they worked and maybe find a way to stop them. Steven couldn't tell if she naturally curious or competitively challenged. Probably both

Steven cast a sad glance to the second controller next to his bed, a sense of loneliness beginning to creep over him. He used to play all kinds of video games with Peridot. But she had so busy lately that Steven barely saw her anymore.

There was heavy boom that came from inside the Temple, which was strong enough to rattle the interior of house a little. Steven paused, waiting to see if the house would remain stable before returning to Golf Quest Mini, getting ready to re-play the whole thing yet again. But before he had the chance to continue, the Warp Pad chimed loudly and a second later, Jasper and Lapis were standing in the middle of it. Lapis was holding up a tall stack of black cubes in her hands, while Jasper had three more tucked under her arm.

Steven instantly sprang to his feet and quickly descended down from his loft to greet the two of them, feeling like he had not seen them in a lifetime.

"Hey guys, you're back!" he said ecstatically, rushing to hug Lapis, who quickly lifted one of her already occupied hands, motioning for him to stop.

"Hi, Steven" Lapis said, struggling to keep a hold of the stack of cubes as it began to wobble. "Is, ah, Peridot around?"

"I think she's still in the Temple" he answered. "You found some more of the cube robot things?"

"Has Peridot made any updates on her analysis of the others we brought?" Jasper asked, blunt and to the point as always.

"Um…" Steven began. As if on cue, there was another explosion which rattled the interior of the house once again. Jasper and Lapis briefly cast a curious glance to the Temple door.

"There's only been about three explosions today" Steven continued with a straight face. "I think that's a good sign"

"Do think it's a good idea to let Peridot work on these things?" Lapis asked Jasper, gesturing to the cubes in her arms with some trepidation. "It's getting a little dangerous"

Jasper let out a sarcastic, almost incredulously scoff of laugther. "You try telling her to stop".

At that moment, the Temple door opened. Peridot, looking extremely disgruntled and bleak, her face partially covered in black soot, walked out from the Temple, a cluster of robonoids scurrying behind after her.

"Hey, Peridot!" Steven greeted, happy to see her again, in what he was going to assume was a state of relatively good health

Peridot just barely seemed to acknowledge Steven. Her then eyes fell upon the black cubes that Lapis and Jasper had retrieved, before she glanced up to Jasper with an irritated scowl.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she said. "You need to bring them back to me undamaged. It difficult to study them when they aren't intact"

"Well it's a hard for us to catch them" Lapis replied, a little defensive setting the stack of cubes down on the floor before it could tumble. "Every time we find one, it tries to warp away. We have to break them to make sure they don't get away"

"And we're not taking these things back to the Temple if they're still working" Jasper added forcefully. "We don't know what they are or what they can do. Too much of a security risk." Jasper leaned back and gave Peridot a somewhat smug grin. "Besides, you sure you can even handle a live one?"

Peridot scowled angrily at Jasper, but then her face dropped into an expression of pure weariness, as if losing the will to argue back, a gesture that surprised even Jasper herself.

"Fine, fine" she said, closing her eyes and rubbing her left temple. "Just give them to me and I'll see what I can do". At her command the robonoids began to load the damaged cubes onto their backs and carry them into the Temple.

"Have you figured out new stuff about them?" Steven asked hopefully, handing Peridot the broken cube in his hands.

"Yes, I've learned the safest minimal distance to stand back when they explode" Peridot said. "Fifty-four and a half yards"

"Well, that's progress, I guess" Steven said with an optimistic smile. He then remembered something else that he wanted to ask. "Oh, hey, Peridot, I unlocked the secret bonus level in Golf Quest Mini II the other day. Do you want to play for a little…?"

But Peridot was already through the Temple door and out of sight, leaving Steven to wonder if she had even heard him. He stood in front of the now closed Temple door with a look of disappointment

"Alright, time for another patrol" Jasper said, stretching her arms up over her head, preparing herself for yet another excursion.

"You're leaving again so soon?" Steven said, looking even more despondent than before. Lapis appeared to share Steven's surprise, though she looked to be far more angered than saddened by Jasper's suggestion.

"We only just got back" she said, testily.

"Until we catch or destroy all those cubes, we need to stay on high alert" Jasper said, crossing her arms unapologetic, refusing to budge. However, her tough exterior began to falter slightly when she noticed the very angry glare Lapis was giving her.

"We'll go one more patrol and then we take a break for a few days." Jasper added quickly, compromising as best she could, which seemed to be enough to appease Lapis, who, after a moment, nodded in agreement.

"Can I come this time?" Steven asked hopefully, looking at Jasper with a wide eye expression.

"No" Jasper replied, painfully curt, without so much as taking the moment to acknowledge Steven's face of disappointment.

"But maybe I could-" he began.

"No" Jasper repeated. She then let out a small grunt as she felt Lapis sharply elbow in her the side, while throwing her another disapproving glare. Looking slightly embarrassed, Jasper cleared her throat and addressed Steven properly.

"What I mean," she said, in a more respectful and considerate tone as she could manage. "Is that it's better if you stay here with Peridot, in case she needs any help"

"How am I supposed to help Peridot?" Steven asked, at loss as to what he could be doing. "She spends all day the Temple. I barely even get to see her anymore. And when I try talking to her, she just seems like she's too busy". Steven hung his head down low, looking depressed.

"Peridot's just been working really hard trying to analyze the cubes, Steven" Lapis said gently, placing her hand on Steven's shoulder to console him. "You know how dedicated she gets to something once she starts. Remember that time she tried counting all the grains of the sand on the beach?"

"That was one long weekend" Steven said with absent reminiscence. "But all this evil robot cube stuff is important isn't it? Maybe I could try and help her figure out how they work?"

There was another explosion which promptly answered Steven's question.

"Then again, maybe not". Steven frowned and slumped his shoulders down, back to square one again. "I don't want to just sit out here all day. I feel like I should be doing something to contribute. I wish there something I could do to help Peridot"

"Steven," Lapis began, kneeling down in to his level to look him in the eye. "Sometimes the best way you can help someone is by just letting them know that you're there. That's how it was with your mother."

Lapis smiled softly, giving a brief glanced over her shoulder to the portrait of Rose that was hanging up above the door frame.

"I always felt safe when Rose was nearby, because I knew she was there if I needed her. Her presence was always a source of comfort for me."

From behind Lapis, Jasper rolled her eyes and turned head away, crossing her arms grumpily, looking more surly than usual as she muttered something indistinguishable under her breath, but Steven paid her no real notice, as he continued listening to Lapis.

"Knowing that your mother was for me to talk to whenever things were getting too much for…um." Lapis abruptly paused, before quickly recovering with a nervous smile. "I mean, whenever I was feeling a little down. She always made me feel better. She didn't really have to do anything. She just…smiled". Lapis closed her eyes for a moment as though she was recalling yet another fond memory, before opening them again to look at Steven.

"You don't have to do anything Steven. Trust me. When Peridot really needs your help, you'll know. And you'll know what to do"

"So, I have to help Peridot by….not doing anything?" Steven said. He thought saying it aloud would make more sense. It didn't.

Jasper groaned heavily, rubbing her eyes, looking as though she much rather be out on patrol or perhaps at least having something nearby that she could punch. Instead she walked off the Warp Pad and stood over Steven, who craned his neck to look up at her.

"Look, I know this might not seem important, but you need to be here, in case anything happens" she said, resolute and firm. "Right now, you are only one Peridot can rely on. When she really needs help, you'll be there, and you'll know what to do. Understand?"

Steven was about to answer when another explosion rocked the house. On the other side of the room, small section of the roof suddenly collapsed and fell to the floor. Jasper stared blankly at the pile of wood and then back to Steven.

"Or, at least make sure she doesn't bring the Temple down while we're gone" Jasper said, sounding as though that was the best they could hope for.

* * *

"So then, Lapis said that by just being here I could make Peridot feel better" Steven said into his cell phone, as he paced up and down his living room. "I wonder if she feels better now? I can't really be sure. Do you think I need to be the same room as her? Maybe it's like a magnet kind effect dealy"

Concentrating hard, Steven slowly raised his right leg in the air, pointing it toward the Temple, as though that might have actually done something.

Connie, who was on the other end of the phone, sitting crossed legged on her bed in her own home, could already imagine Steven trying to test out his theory and decided it was best to stop him before he did something to hurt himself.

"I think maybe what Lapis meant was that Peridot is happier just knowing that she has you to keep her company if she needs it" Connie said, choosing her own words carefully as she could to help Steven better understand. "You know, like if she wanted to talk to you or hang out"

"But I'm not doing anything" Steven complained. "I'm just standing here. It feels like I should be doing something, but I don't know what it is"

Steven sighed. He then looked up to the portrait of his mother. He never noticed before, but it almost gave the impression she was looking down at him.

"Lapis said my mom could make her feel better by just being around" he continued, now beginning to feel like a disappointment. "So, what I am supposed to do?"

"How about doing something for Peridot" Connie suggested. "Why don't you try doing something to cheer her up after all the hard work she's been doing? Sometimes, my when Dad comes in from a late shift, I have his favourite blend of coffee already for him when he walks through the door. He says he wouldn't know how to get through his day without knowing I'd be home waiting for him."

"Hmm, don't think Peridot is a coffee fan" Steven said pensively, walking up to the kitchen counter, looking for inspiration. "Maybe I could make her a cake instead? But then again, she doesn't really like sweets either. Or any food really"

"Okay, so food is out" Connie said, a little exasperated but no less patient. "What does Peridot like to do?

Steven craned his neck to look at the ceiling, counting off with his fingers. "Let's see. Watching Camp Pining Hearts, building stuff, getting into fights with Jasper, saying the word clod"

"Anything a little more convenient? Maybe something she can use?"

Racking his brain trying to think, Steven glanced around the house until finally his eyes settled up onto his loft, remembering the many hours he had been spending up there playing his gaming console. A wide grin soon broke across Steven's face

"I got it!" he said, triumphantly. "Video games! She likes to play video games. She and I play together all the time! I'll go out and get her a new game!"

"That's a great idea, Steven" Connie said, sounding both happy and proud at his progress. "Excellent detective work!"

"Elementary, my dear Connie" Steven said, adopting a posh, fancy accent. "Now, what game could I get her?"

"Does she have a particular genre?"

Steven paused again to consider this. "Well, she really loves the Golf Quest Mini series, even more than I do. She has all the combinations memorised and she beat the whole game in record time"

Steven smiled fondly, as he remembered the many hours they had spent together on the console, but soon frowned once again. "But I don't think she's interested right now. We played that game so many times by now, she probably would be bored with it by now"

"You know what I bet she would love?" Connie said, now sounding excited. "The newest game. Golf Quest Mini Kingdom!"

"There's a new one!" Steven said, with a stunned gasp.

"Yeah, it's just come out a few weeks ago. It's got new characters, new gameplay, better graphics and memory. And it's exclusive on the latest gaming console, the Wuu!

"The Wuu….who?" Steven said, confused.

"Didn't you hear about?" Connie said, sounding a bit surprised. "It came out last month. It's a brand-new gaming console where the player controls the game using motion-controlled joy sticks. You just moved your arms in the air, and the Wuu tracks your movements on the screen. It's almost like being outside and playing a real-life game of golf in your very own home."

"Peridot would love that!" Steven cried, practically bounding up and down with immense joy. "Thanks so much for your help Connie". Steven put a confident smirk, punching his fist in the air. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got to go and borrow money from my Dad!"

* * *

After tracking down and carefully bartering (well, actually just polite asking) his millionaire/car wash entrepreneur father Greg Universe for a small loan, Steven soon purchased a brand new Wuu console, as well as the latest Golf Quest Mini Kingdom game that Connie had mentioned. Both items in hand, Steven hurriedly climbed up the front steps of the Beach House and approached the door with a giddy smile.

He couldn't wait to see the look on Peridot's face when he showed her the new game. He could already picture how happy it would make her. And while he wasn't one to brag, he felt immensely proud of himself for figuring such an ingenious way of helping Peridot. Now he just had to wait until she came out of the Temple.

As he opened the front door, Steven saw, to both his surprise and relief, that Peridot was now in the living room, sitting on the edge of the couch, hunched over in front of the coffee table, several flask robonoids gathered around her. One of the black cubes was sitting in the table, its exterior layer pried open to reveal a series of complex circuity on the inside. And for some reason, the Wailing Stone was there as well, standing up next to the table.

"Hey Peridot" Steven greeted, being sure to keep the Wuu hidden behind his back as he approached. "Guess what?"

"Shh!" Peridot said, without looking up, beckoning for him to be silent. "Steven, I need to concentrate. This is delicate work".

Peridot carefully inserted the green cable into the robonoid which fit perfectly. She then placed the other end of the cable into the cube, but soon found that it wouldn't fit. After prodding it gently a few times, she managed to insert it with a good, hard smack.

"Okay, Test #176 is now under way" Peridot whispered to herself, pulling away from the table. "Preparing to interface flask robonoid with unknown portable warp cube technology. Despite my previous setbacks, I'm quite confident this test will yield results" she said, not giving away a shred of doubt.

"What are you doing with the Wailing Stone?" Steven asked, eyeing the Gem artefact they had recovered on a previous mission.

Peridot heaved a loud grunt as she pulled the stone totem closer to the table. "Based on my analysis, I have reason to believe that these cubes must operate using some kind of data transferring system" she explained, while double checking the cable connecting the cube to the robonoid. "I'm attempting to see if I can somehow interface into system this with my robonoids and then decipher the encrypted data using the Wailing Stone. It should work despite it being rather…antiquated Gem technology." She added, throwing the artifact a rather judgemental glance.

Steven nodded his head patiently, probably only understanding about half of what she was saying. A more concerning thought then crossed his mind. "Um, that's not going to blow up is it?" he asked, pointing at the cube.

"There's an acceptable level of minimal risk of that happening" Peridot said, unconcerned. She paused briefly and glanced at Steven. "But you might want to move back a little"

With all the preparations made, Peridot activated her finger-screen on one hand and inputted some data. The robonoid on the table sprang to life as it began to whirl loudly, a stream of green energy passing along from the cable, into the black cube.

Peridot's finger-screen changed to display a distorted wall of pure static. Clearly expecting this, Peridot then pressed down the button on top of the Wailing Stone, which began to hum loudly. As the tones of the Wailing Stone began to harmonise, the static image on the finger-screen slowly began to dissipate, as a garbled sequence of symbols began to come into picture. Peridot smiled in excitement, seconds away from finally unlocking the secrets of the mysterious warp cube that had continuously eluded her.

However, a sudden beeping noise started coming out of the cube and without warning it released a burst of red energy that travelled down the cable and into robonoid. The robonoid absorbed the red energy and went stock still. A second later, it blew up in spontaneous explosion. The Wailing Stone ceased it humming, ending with flat sounded trumpet noise.

Growling in angry, Peridot slammed her fists into the table in a fit of frustration and glared venomously at the dismantled cube. It was mocking her. She didn't know exactly how it was, but it was definitely mocking her.

Looking exhausted, Peridot slumped back on the couch, rubbing the side of her head as she contemplated her latest failure. She would never admit it, but she was beginning to run dry on ideas.

From the other side of the couch, Steven watched Peridot in her moment of defeat, thinking that this was all too perfect. All he had to do was give her the Wuu and it would instantly cheer her up. She would forget all about this mishap and smile again in no time. The thought of it was making Steven practically giddy.

Peridot was brought out of her pensive trance, when she noticed Steven looking directly at her with a wide, unnerving smile.

"Steven, why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, sounding somewhere between curious and cautious.

"I've got a surprise for you!" he replied, struggling to contain himself, his hands still behind his back.

"This isn't really a good time Steven" Peridot said, wearily. "I'm in the middle of work. Perhaps you can show me later?"

"That's what my surprise is for. I got something to take your mind of your work!"

"That sounds very counterproductive to my work" Peridot said, straight faced.

Steven cleared his throat, straightening himself up as he began to speak with a more dramatic flair. "I hope that your eyes are hungry, because they are about to feast on the most amazing sight you will see, in this or any other lifetime. I present to you, the great and lovable Peridot, your very own, brand new…..Wuu!"

Chanting a triumphantly tune, Steven raised the box containing the Wuu above his head, as a strange ray of light seemed to radiate from out around it.

Peridot stared at the box in Steven's hands, running her eyes over the title curiously. "Wuu?" she repeated. "What kind of word functions as both a noun and an exclamation?"

"It's a new gaming console" Steven explained, lowering his arms. He gave her a bashful smile, averting his eyes down to the floor as he felt the colour in his cheeks rise. "I thought since you've been working so hard lately, maybe you could take a break and play some Golf Quest Mini. I got this console for us to play on"

Grinning broadly, Steven offered Peridot the new console. Saying nothing, she took the box from him, taking a moment to scrutinise. Peridot then glanced at Steven, who was still smiling and looking at her expectantly, thinking that any moment now she would burst into tears of joy at the wonderous gesture that he had done for her.

But instead of bursting into tears, Peridot merely she set the box down on the table with a weary sigh, shaking her head, almost looking embarrassed.

"Steven, please try to understand" she said, slightly patronizing. "My work is important. I apologise if I have been too preoccupated to attend to your needs, but I promise, once I have some spare time, I'll repair your gaming console for you". Pushing the Wuu box to the side, Peridot returned back to work on the dismantled cube, prodding away at it once more.

"Huh?" Confused, Steven glanced over his shoulder up to his bedroom loft, his TV and older console model still exactly where he had left them. "That one's not broken" he said, looking back at Peridot.

Peridot lifted her head up from the table, looking equally confused. "Then… why did you purchase a replacement unit?"

"It's not a replacement" Steven said, slowly, still not fully getting what Peridot was referring to. "This is just a newer version of it"

"Well, there obviously must have been something wrong with the old then, wasn't there?" Peridot asked, crossing her arms, sounding highly dubious.

Steven shifted his legs slightly, starting to feel uncomfortable. "Um, well, nothing was wrong with it. This is just an even better one". He gestured to the Wuu box again. "It's got better graphics, improved sound, updated gameplay and all kinds of other new stuff"

Steven thought that this should definitely be the part where Peridot would start looking impressed, but instead she simply appeared very indignant.

"The graphic on the previous model were perfectly adequate, the sound system was performed at an optimal level and the game play system was in equal parts challenge and intellectual stimulating" she said. "Any possible improvements that could have been added would be just ostentations and gratuitous"

"But I'm sure it would still be a lot of fun" Steven said, with a confident smile. "Come on and let's give it a try".

Steven took Peridot by the hand and managed to pull her up from the couch. She followed him with some reluctance, but soon closed her eyes a dismissive sneer. "Ok, fine. If nothing more than to see first-hand how vastly overrated this new Wuu system will undoubtedly be"

Climbing the stairs to the loft, Steven removed the Wuu from the box and connected it to the TV screen. Peridot remained sitting on the bed, and did nothing to help, not even when Steven had some difficulty untangling himself from the extensive wiring.

Once the Wuu was complete set up, Steven turned on the TV as the game began to load and the opening credits started running across the screen, showcasing a majestic looking Golf Course the size of a literal kingdom. The main character Ace Sunkin appeared on screen, standing underneath an extravagant title card that was displayed a sleek 3-D computerized rendition as opposed to the older 2-D animation of the previous system.

Steven's eyes began to sparkle with astonishment as he began to gush over the newer graphics. "Whoa! Peridot, look! Everything looks so sleek and shiny. And it all has depth now!"

Peridot glanced back and forth between the slacked jawed Steven and the TV screen with a look of stunned surprise, before she let out very a loud, and almost nervous sounding, scoff of laughter.

"Surely, you can't be serious? They completely ruined the aesthetic quality of the previous system. And the addition of a third dimension does not align with the previous 2-dimenisonal iconography that the game is famous for"

Steven was not really listening to Peridot; instead he had already entered the character menu and was shuffling through all the old and new characters he had the option of choosing from.

"Look at all these new characters we can pick" he said excitedly. "They've all got so many new abilities, new items and new stats!"

"Preposterous!" Peridot snapped, looking even more outraged. "This is clearly nothing but a superfluous over-saturation of an already well-balanced and efficient combat system."

"Ah, come on Peridot" Steven said with earnest enthusiasm. "Here, let's pick a character"

Steven moved the joystick in front of the screen as the cursor hovered over Ace Sunkin'. With a smart flick of his wrist, the Wuu captured Steven's motion and selected his chosen character which loaded the main game.

"You mean you actually have to point and move objects across the screen using these ridiculous controllers?" Peridot said, contemptuously. "Who would be impressed by such a tedious interface system?"

"But, don't you use your fingers to move stuff on your screen?" Steven asked innocently.

Peridot face froze, glancing down at her metal finger, flushing with embarrassment. "Yes!" she said after a long pause. "But Gem technology is a very delicate operating system. The use of this motion duplication staff creates far too much of a margin for error. How can you make important strategic gameplay decisions by waving this thing around?"

"Well, maybe if we just practice a little. Here, let me show you". Within the game, Ace was squaring off in a battle against the mighty Windmill.

Holding the joystick tightly between both hands, Steven took up a proper golfing stance in front of the TV, with a serious expression on his face. Shaking his rear end back and forth a few times, he swung his arms hard with an impressive follow through. Inside the game, Ace mimicked Steven's actions and hit the golf ball dead on during the game's quick time event, hitting Windmill with a fiery explosion.

Steven laughed in amazement, throwing his arms up on the air, loving the new freedom of movement that the Wuu offered him. "See, isn't great?" he said to Peridot. "It's like I'm right in the open field there battling a giant sentient Windmill. What could be more realistic?"

But Peridot looked any but convinced. "Great? What kind of game forces you actually to stand up and exert physical effort? It was a far more convenient conservation of energy when we could sit comfortably on the floor"

"But this also let's do you all kinds of fun mini-game that we couldn't before" Steven said. He let out a tiny gasp as he entered into another options menu. "Look at this, I can actually wash and clean golf balls. Isn't that cool!"

Steven laughed again as he motioned with the joystick, scrubbing away at the virtual golf ball on the screen thinking that this must be the most miraculous experience of his life. Behind him, Peridot crossed her arms as she remained on the bed, watching Steven as he continued to play. She glared at the Wuu with an unhappy scowl, not unlike the one she had given the black cube earlier.

After a few more minutes of exploring more of the Wuu's new feature, Steven looked over his shoulder and only then did he notice Peridot's sullen expression. He quickly remembered why had bought the Wuu in the first place, realizing that he was now hogging it for himself. At once, he offered Peridot the joystick.

"Here, it's your turn" he said happily.

Peridot stared at the joystick as though she thought it might bite her or something. Hesitantly, she took the joystick from Steven and then took up a standing position in front of the TV. She pointed the joystick at the TV and pressed one of the buttons on the end as if it was some kind of remote, but nothing seemed to be happening. Confused, she held the controller upside down, looking for some kind of hidden switch to it. Peridot glanced back to Steven, who gave a brief swing of his arms to try and encourage her.

"Okay, simple math" Peridot said, not giving away any kind of doubt. "I just need to angle my swings to achieve the proper velocity"

Peridot focused herself and prepared to swing but she put too much force into her strike, nearly losing her balance as she spun around in a complete circle. Correcting herself, Peridot tried again, but she seemed to be finding it difficult to accomplish much of anything in the game, aside from repeatedly missing the timing events for her attacks and watching in frustration as her character's health bar dropping with each failed attempt.

Seeing the difficulty that she was having, Steven instinctively moved closer and reached his hand out to hers. "Here, let me help-"

"No, I don't need help!" Peridot snapped, pulling away from Steven, now waving and shaking the joystick like crazy, trying to will the device to her commands. "I can figure this out on my own. I mastered the old gaming system; I can easily master this one. It doesn't much they change it; I can still beat it!"

Peridot waved the joystick in a wild frenzy, as if it was somehow trying to wrestle itself away from her grasp, with Ace mimicking her every action in the game before Windmill finally blasted Ace off his feet with a concentrated gust of wind, dropping his life bar down to zero. The screen turned to black, the two most infamous words in all of video gaming crawling into view: GAME OVER

Peridot's left eye began to switch violently. In her hand, she squeezed the joystick tightly, enough that Steven thought she might break it in half, before she released her grip, dropping the joystick down to the floor.

With a sour expression, Peridot turned back to Steven's bed and sat back down on it, looking as tired and frustrated as ever.

For a long while, Steven said nothing at all and just stared at Peridot in silence. A part of him hoped than perhaps he had just gotten the wrong impression, but the longer he waited, the more awkward and tense the atmosphere became until he finally had to say something.

"You… don't like the Wuu, do you?" he said sadly, eyes cast downwards.

Peridot did not answer. She then took a brief inhale and then exhaled again, her face perfectly completely straight. "No" she said, without even a hint of a smile or emotion. "I very much do like the Wuu"

"Is… that true?" Steven asked, looking up at her with some surprise. He didn't want to believe that she was lying, but her overall demeanour didn't seem to match her words.

"There's clearly no logical reason to dislike it" Peridot said, shrugging indifferently. "It's obviously an impressive advancement in entertainment technology. You were very wise to procure this updated gaming device, Steven"

"Okay," Steven said slowly, still not totally convinced. "So why do you still look kinda… upset?

Peridot stood up from her the bed, folding her hands neatly behind her back and walked forward a few paces, stopping in front of the TV. "Because I realized, since we now have a superior gaming system at our disposal, we have no further use for this outdated eyesore".

Confused, Steven glanced to the floor and saw what Peridot was referring to; Steven's previous game console, which he had put aside when he was setting up the Wuu to the TV. He was about to ask Peridot what she had meant by 'eyesore', but when she suddenly gave the older console a small, yet hard kick of her foot, knocking it over to its side

"Hey!" Steven cried, rushing over to the console, setting it upright again, hoping that it was undamaged. "Careful, you might break it"

"It's not broken Steven, it's obsolete" Peridot said flatly. "Therefore, it's unwanted".

Before Steven could protest further, Peridot picked the old console off the floor and turned to walk down the stairs of Steven's loft. Steven rushed after her, having no idea what she was thinking, but was concerned for his precious console nonetheless.

"Peridot! What are you doing?!" Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, Steven gaped in shock as Peridot held his game console directly above the open trash can next to the kitchen counter.

"The only logical solution is to dump this obsolete piece of technology into the garbage where it belongs". Peridot opened her fingers and let the console drop down into the trash can, without any hint of satisfaction on her face.

"W-wait a second" Steven said quickly, running over to the edge of the trash can. "You don't have to get rid of the old console just because we have the Wuu. We can still play on it sometimes."

"Except that it'll never be as good as the Wuu, will it?" Peridot said, coldly. "It's old and outdated and all it's doing is taking up space. That's how technology works. It constantly improves and replaces itself with more efficient iterations. Sooner or later, they'll just make something better. Something so incredible, it boggles your mind, throwing you totally out of your element, showing you just how useless you really are."

Becoming visibly angry, Peridot marched over to the coffee table, the dismantled black cube still resting there, some of her robonoids still scuttling about

"In fact, while we're at it, let's put everything that's inferior into the trash, where it belongs! Like my robonoids". Before it could scurry away, Peridot grabbed one of the robonoids off the table and held it up in the air as it kicked cylindrical legs in fear. "Oh, sure, these were once the most advanced scouting and warp pad maintenance drones in the universe, but apparently not anymore!"

Moving back to the trash can, Peridot stuffed her robonoid inside with vengeful thrust. Steven flinched slightly, now starting to become fearful of what Peridot might throw away next. And unfortunately, his fears were soon realized when he saw Peridot picking up the Wailing Stone.

"And let's not forget this…archaic Gem transmission device" Peridot puffed loudly as she heaved the Wailing Stone up to her chest, slowly trudging her way to the trash can with considerable effort. "What's the difference between this thing and my robonoids? It's all nothing clutter. If it can't match up to the latest modern technology, then it's useless. Complete and utterly useless!"

Despite the obvious difficulty she was having, Peridot raised the Wailing Stone overhead, preparing to chunk into trash as well, before she suddenly lost her footing due to the weight and fell backwards with a terrified yelp. The Wailing Stone did a brief flip in the air, before it landed right down Peridot's face with a loud clunk. Steven winched painfully. He quickly pulled the Wailing Stone off Peridot's face, her cheeks puffing out slightly and her face turning a darker shade of green.

With a disgruntled moan, she slowly got back to her feet, doing her best to remain dignified, but it seemed as though her outburst had done nothing to help alleviate her anger.

As Steven stared at Peridot, who looked even more sullen and frustrated than before, he felt his own heart as it began to ache. He was so disappointed. Not with Peridot, but with himself. He wanted so badly to make her feel better, but he felt like all he did was make things even worse. He felt like he had let her down, he felt like he had Jasper and Lapis down after telling them he would help Peridot.

Steven glanced over at the photo of his mother, looming over the doorframe. She must never have felt like this much of a failure, he thought to himself.

Suddenly the Warp Pad activated as both Jasper and Lapis returned from their patrol, landing into the house. Lapis looked quite pleased as she was holding another one of the black cubes in her arms, but unlike the others they had retrieved, this one looked to be perfectly intact, its red eye glowing very faintly.

"Hey, Peridot, we caught one of the cubes and this one isn't broken" Lapis said happily, as she stepped off the Warp Pad. "We just found it sitting down in some big field. I think the power must have run out it or something. Do you want to have a look at it?"

Lapis offered the cube to Peridot, whose back was turned, fully expecting her to take it without question. Forget the straw. The camel's back was officially broken

Her shoulders trembling in rage, Peridot let out a furious yell as she rounded on Lapis and roughly snatched the cube out of her hands, much to her surprise, before hurling the cube straight across the room, where until it smashed against the wall with a loud clattered.

Stunned by Peridot's abrupt outburst, Lapis shared a concerned look with Jasper who merely shrugged in response. Steven was about to say offer something in the way of an explanation, but his voice was suddenly cut off when a strange beeping noise began to emanate from the black cube.

Everyone in the room turned their heads in surprise as the cube beeped loudly, before the noise turned into full blown klaxon. On the other side of the room, from inside the trash disposable, the Wailing Stone activated without warning and released a loud bellowing noise that echoed the sound of the cube, shaking the entire house, forcing Steven and the Crystal Gems to cover their ears due to overwhelming volume.

Gritting her teeth, Peridot managed to recover long enough to fire a bolt of energy from her finger-cannon, blasting the black cube to pieces and silencing it. With the cube destroyed, the Wailing Stone then fell silent once again.

"What. Just. Happened?" Jasper asked in a low, sinister growl, staring at pieces of the destroyed cube, looking none too happy.

No one else in the room answered, but after a moment they didn't need to. From outside they heard a chorus of loud boom claps, as if a storm cloud had just rolled in. Wasting no time, the Crystal Gems rushed out onto the balcony and spotted the source of this disturbance.

A dozen streaks of red lights flashed in sky above the beach as an entire swarm of black cubes were wrapping in from out of nowhere. Each of the cubes were blinking and beeping loudly, looking to be in some kind of mad frenzy, zooming back and forth, banging into each other in a total randomized formation as appeared. Steven and the rest of the Crystal Gems ran down to the beach and watched in anticipation as they black cubes hovered about in the air above them.

"What's going on?" Steven yelled over the incessant beeping, keeping his hands over his ears. "Why are they coming here?"

Peridot surveyed the cubes as they continued to move about erratically, almost as though they were under some kind of unseen attack. She looked back to the house, connecting all the dots in her head.

"The cube you brought here wasn't out of power" she said to Jasper and Lapis in a low voice. "It must have temporarily powered down as part of a routine maintenance cycle. And when I distributed it, it sent out some kind of distress signal that was amplified by the Wailing Stone, drawing the remaining cubes here"

"Is that good or bad?" Steven asked, hesitantly, his eyes on the floating black cubes as they continued to bump into each other. Suddenly, the cubes ceased their blaring, all of them stopping in mid-air at the same time. They all then turned in unions toward the Crystal Gems, the red eye on the front side each of the cubes lighting up with a red glow.

"Bad" Jasper answered, forming her crash helmet.

The black cubes fired and released a rain of red laser beams down upon the Crystal Gems.

With a startled cry, Peridot grabbed Steven by his waist and performed a barrel roll to the right. Lapis expanded out her wings and flew up into the air, while Jasper did backwards flip as she dodged the laser blasts.

Now airborne, Lapis hovered in front of the cubes, raising her hands up to summon a stream of water from the ocean. The water broke apart into several blotches and encircled a number of the cubes, trapping them all in a series of bubbles.

"I got them!" Lapis declared with a triumphant grin.

The captured cubes started to blink again, before they all suddenly vanished in a brief streak of red energy, warping right out of the bubbles and up into the sky.

Lapis grin quickly disappeared. "Uh oh".

Less than a second later, the cubes warped in directly behind Lapis and fired another barrage of lasers before she could turn around, blasting her down to the beach. The cubes moved on the now downed Lapis as she struggled to get back up, but before they could reach her, Jasper rushed in and swatted at least three of the cubes with a single swipe of her arm.

"Get down!" Jasper yelled, punching out another cube as they moved back to into the air away from her. Jasper leapt up and grabbed a hold of one of the cubes, pulling down to the ground as she landed. The cube beeped once again before warping away, taking Jasper along with it this time. Jasper reappeared a few yards away still holding the cube as if nothing had happened, before she ripped the advanced piece of Gem-tech clean in half with her bare hands like it was a sheet of paper.

Lapis soon managed to recover and flew back into the air, firing blasts of water at the cubes yet she was unable to hit them as they continued to dodge her attacks by use of their warping capabilities.

Steven and Peridot watched the battle unfold from the other side of the beach, neither of them making an attempt to join in just yet.

"This is all my fault" Peridot whispered under her breath.

"It's ok, Peridot" Steven said consolingly, patting her on the arm. "Don't be blame yourself"

"That wasn't self-pity Steven, I was simply stating an objective fact" Peridot replied with a perfectly straight face. "Now, I have to fix this somehow. The only way to stop these cubes is to take them all out at once"

"But they keep warping around" Steven said, desperately. "Maybe if there was some way we could catch while they're warping?"

"It's impossible, Steven" Peridot said. "Those cubes are completely automatous and can warp anywhere they want. They're like portable Warp Pads!"

Steven frowned as he thought about this before blurting out the first idea that came to his mind. "But if they're just like Warp Pads, can't we warp to where they are?"

Peridot's blinked once before her eyes widened as she was struck by a sudden epiphany. She soon realized what she had to do next.

"I have a plan!" she shouted, loud enough to get Jasper and Lapis' attention. "Keep them distracted long enough for me to get what I need ready!"

"Steven, go with Peridot!" Jasper ordered, as she dodged another laser beam.

"But, I wanna help, I can-!"

"Help, Peridot!" Jasper yelled, as she punched away another cube. Understanding at once, Steven gave a brief nod of his head before he ran up the hill after Peridot.

Steven reached the house and to his surprise, found Peridot with her head halfway down into the trash can, pulling out the robonoid she had tossed in there earlier. Before Steven could ask her what she was doing, Peridot was already sprinting past him and out the door again. Determined to remain by her side, Steven immediately followed after her once again, running back down to the beach, until they both stopped at the edge of where the battle was taking place.

"What are you doing?" Steven asked in between his panting.

"Steven, I think you may be right" Peridot said, placing her robonoid underneath her arm. "If these things can act as Warp Pads, then maybe it is possible for us to warp to wherever they are. All I need is an anchor"

Peridot raised her right arm in the air, separating her hovering digits, her upper forearm reconfiguring itself small cannon. She placed the robonoid inside the round shaped slot of the cannon and held her arm up the air, taking aim at one of the nearest cubes. She just about to fire when another group of black cubes wrapped behind them, firing their beams at Peridot's turned back.

"Peridot, watch out!"

Without thinking, Steven jumped in front of Peridot's turned back and raised his right arm; before he even realized what had happened, he formed his mother's shield, big enough that it covered them both, as the red beams deflected off its surface. Peridot turned around to Steven, who appeared just as surprised by this turn events as she was. Despite his sudden sense of fatigue, Steven smiled back at Peridot with confidence. Grinning back at him with a mixture of amusement and pride, Peridot took aim at the cubes once again with her arm cannon as Steven kept his shield up to cover them.

Setting her sights on one of the cubes, Peridot launched the robonoid into the air just before it could warp away; the robonoid collided with the cube, latching on tightly with his cylindrical legs. Concluding that it was in some kind of danger, the black cube warped several yards distance in the air but the robonoid remained firmly attached it.

Seeing that the robonoid was securely fastened on to the cube, Peridot brought up her finger-screen and tapped a sequence of icons in quick procession. Steven watched the cube and robonoid in anticipation, expecting something to happen, until he heard a familiar chiming noise nearby. He turned to look back at the Temple and could see the Warp Pad being activated several times in a row as the teal-coloured beams of light shot into the sky.

Suddenly, those same teal-coloured warp beams started raining down from above, bouncing off each of the black cubes as a more and more of Peridot's robonoids came landing in on top of them.

Jasper and Lapis both ceased their individual attacks when they realized what was the happening. The black cubes themselves were no longer firing any beams as they were too preoccupied

wrapped back and forth, unable to shake away any of the robonoids that remained fixed onto them, with some cubes even carrying five or six robonoids.

Eventually, when it looked like there was at least one robonoid attached to every cube, Peridot tab her screen once again, the display changing to show a series of small round objects lined up together. Taking a quick breath, Peridot pressed a single icon; the screen turned red and each of the orbs on the display were crossed out by a large X.

Having received their final command, the robonoids all began flash the same red colour, their outer shells beginning to crack, until, one by one, each of the robonoids blew themselves apart in a powerful explosion, setting off a chain reaction that was augmented by the energy released from the black cubes as they too were destroyed in the process. The combined explosion created a shockwave powerful enough to knock the Crystal Gems and Steven off their off their feet.

When the smoked cleared, the sky above the beach was empty again, but the ground was now littered in the destroyed remains of Peridot's robonoids and the black cubes, not a single of one of either piece of Gem technology appearing to be working condition any longer.

"W-what happened?" Steven said, with a slight cough, standing back up alongside the Crystal Gems, as they surveyed the widespread destruction for themselves.

"I…initiated the emergency failsafe in my robonoids" Peridot said heavily, allowing no emotion to show on her face. "Their…self-destruct sequence. It was the only way to ensure that all the cubes were destroyed.

"Peridot…" Lapis began, looking heartbroken, raising a sympathetic hand to her, but Jasper quickly caught and lowered it again.

"It had to be done" Jasper said, with a rather cold dismissal. She made no attempt to comfort Peridot in anyway. Instead all she did was give her a brief, yet respect nod of her in head as an acknowledgement. "Good job, Peridot"

Peridot said nothing in response to Jasper and just continued to stare over the destroyed pile of green shards and black metal.

"But what about the robonoids?!" Steven asked desperately, dropping to knees, picking up some of the shattered pieces, as though hoping he could stick them back together somehow. "Can't we fix them? Maybe my healing spit will work. Or-"

"They're not broken, Steven" Peridot said. She kneeled down in the sand beside and picked up one of the broken shards, observing her own reflection in the clear surface for a moment before looking away. "They're just…. obsolete. If Gems like Pearl and Amethyst have developed newer technology like those black cubes, then we can't rely the resources that we have. They'll only be liabilities."

Peridot stood back up, surveying the beach filled with destroyed Gem technology, both new and old. They had won this battle, but the only Peridot could feel was defeat

"Come on" Jasper finally said, walking past her. "We need to clear all this up before some humans find it"

With a weary sigh, Peridot soon joined both Jasper and Lapis as they began to sweep up the wreckage. Steven was the only one who was not helping, staring down at the broken robonoid shell in his hands. He understood that the robonoids were just machines, but he also knew how much they meant to Peridot and could only imagine much she must be hurting right now. All he wanted to do was to help her in some way, in any way. He had tried so hard and yet nothing seemed to work. He didn't know what to do anymore.

Yet somehow, as he realized this, Steven felt an urge deep inside, that even if he didn't know what he could do be doing to help, he still had to be there for Peridot, as well as Jasper and Lapis. No matter what, he would be there for them.

* * *

It was now late at night; the sun having set some hours ago. Peridot entered into the Beach House from her room inside the Temple, looking very exhausted, having just finished storing the remaining the debris from the battle into a secure vault in her room. This had been without doubt, one of the most relentless days in her entire existence, going from one disaster to the next with absolutely no of achievement or pleasure to be had at almost any moment. She felt worn out and depressed, the weight of today's events having practically drained the life out of her. The only consolation was that the day was finally over.

"Hey, Peridot" Steven called out from up in his loft. "Can you come here for a second?"

Peridot winced slightly when she heard Steven's voice; a part of her really wished she didn't have to go up there, but she knew she couldn't refuse Steven. She just hoped that, whatever he needed, it would be quick and simple. Climbing the stairs, she found Steven in his banana pyjamas, sitting at the foot of his bed; in his hands he was holding his game controller.

"What is it, Steven?" she asked, sounding very tired.

"I was just wondering" he said with a small smile. "If you're not too busy, if you'd want to play some Golf Quest Mini with me?"

Surprised, Peridot turned to the TV screen, Steven's previous gaming console connected to it, the main menu of Golf Mini Quest II shining brightly as the only light source in the loft.

"What happened to the Wuu?" Peridot asked.

"I traded it to Lars for a free donut" Steven answered, quite happily and without any hint of regret.

"But I thought you liked your new console?" Peridot flash a brief look of embarrassment. "I didn't break it, did I?"

Steven chuckled. "No. It's just, well I did really like the Wuu because it was new, but when I really thought about, I realized what's so special about my old game console. This is the one and only gaming console in the whole world that you and I played together on"

Steven picked up a secondary controller and set it down on the bed next to him. He didn't offer it to Peridot. He simply left it there for her to take if she wanted it.

"It's got all our memories on" Steven said, now looking innocuously embarrassed as he explained himself further. "Even if it's not brand new, it's still got nostalgia. It's got all the old value that we put into it". Steven looked up to Peridot with a kind smile, the latter not even realizing just how much he truly admired her. "You can't top the classic"

Stunned, Peridot slowly picked up the secondary controller off the bed and turned it over in her hands. She looked back down at Steven, who was still smiling at her.

Peridot's face soon broke into a wide, enthusiastic grin as she out a mad chortle of excitement as she hurriedly jumped onto the bed alongside Steven who laughed as well as he briefly thrown up into the air by the force of Peridot's landing. Huddling their shoulders together, they began to play their games, the earlier experiences of day soon forgotten as they continued to play well into the rest of the night.

This is what Peridot needed. Nothing could have made her feel any better than doing this, than being right here and now with Steven by her side.


	9. Where You Live

"Wow. I can only imagine how this will all end". Steven eagerly flipped over to the next page of the book as the story drew to its conclusion. "Oh" he said in mild surprise. "Well, that really subverted my expectations."

Steven was lying flat on his stomach on the couch, engrossed in one of his favourite book series. As always, Peridot, Lapis and Jasper were out on a mission, leaving Steven to wait patiently for their return. Turns out, he didn't have to wait very long. The Warp Pad performed its signature chime sound and lit up as Peridot, Jasper and Lapis returning from their most recent outing, but strangely this time they seemed to have returned empty handed, with neither bubbled Gems nor ancient artefacts in tow.

"Hey, guys" Steven said happily, setting his book aside and hopping off the couch to greet them. "What'd you find this time?"

"We've been checking to see if we could find any more of the black cubes" Jasper answered, placing her hands on her hips. "Good news is, looks like they were all destroyed in that last battle"

"That's correct Jasper, but this isn't the time to be thanking me." Peridot said, without the least bit of sarcasm. Jasper rolled her eyes, suppressing an angry growl in the back of her throat and likely an urge to hit Peridot with something.

"But now with those cubes destroyed, there's no way they can re-activate the Homeworld Warp" Lapis said, sounding both thoroughly happy and relieved. "Homeworld can't get to us now. We're safe"

"Safe from what?" Steven said, deciding to test his luck. His curiosity had slowly been getting the better of him as he asked the single burning question that he had been holding back for weeks now. "What do the Homeworld Gems want to do?"

Lapis opened her mouth as if to speak but soon closed it again and bit her lip, turning away from Steven much to his surprise as he wondered what could be wrong with her. Noting Lapis silence, Peridot briskly stepped forward and spoke up in her absence with nowhere near the same level of hesitation.

"Well, you see Steven, it all starts roughly 6000 years ago when Gems first arrived on this planet. Their purpose was-"

Without warning, Jasper marched forward, roughly slamming her arm into Peridot as she passed, almost knocking her to the ground in the process as she stepped between her and Steven.

"Hey!" Peridot said, indignantly

"Peridot, be quiet" Jasper said coldly, without even looking back at her.

"But I'm just trying to explain…"

Jasper turned her head sharply, throwing Peridot a very dangerous glare, which was enough to dissuade her from any further arguments. "Nobody asked you anything. And you wouldn't know what you're talking about anyway"

Peridot narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth, scowling deeply at Jasper as she turned back around to face Steven. Seeing that she had officially been ignored, Peridot crossed her arms and began to angrily mutter under her breath.

"Alright, look, it's kinda complicated" Jasper said, dropping down to one knee, looking Steven dead in the eye. "All you need to understand, is that Homeworld Gems were going to do something bad here. Rose, me and Lapis and some others didn't want this to happen. So, we made sure that it didn't. Or at least we didn't let them finish what they had started. We thought that we had driven Homeworld away for good, but they keep crawling back here, like a bunch of parasites"

Peridot rolled her eyes, throwing Jasper another unpleasant and challenging look.

"We decided that we wanted to protect and preserve the life that was on this planet" Lapis said, finding her voice again. Her face briefly flashed a painful expression of sadness. "Even though it meant never going back to home again. But it's better this way" she said firmly, looking resolute and strong once more. "Homeworld Gems bring nothing but misery wherever they go" she said, with a much darker edge in her voice. "That's why we have to make sure they don't come back here"

Peridot suddenly dropped the angry scowl she had been reserving for Jasper and glanced over to Lapis, appearing far more hurt by her words, although Lapis did not appear to notice

"It was either Homeworld or the Earth, and we chose Earth" Jasper said, standing upright again. She watched Steven carefully, waiting to see what his reaction would be, hoping that he could handle this information maturely.

"Wait a sec," Steven said finally, as he begun to realize something. "So that means... we're just like the No Home Boys!"

"Huh?" Lapis said, confused.

"The No Home Boys!" Steven exclaimed with bright enthusiasm. He ran back over to the couch and picked up the book he had been reading, showing it to the Crystal Gems. "It's a book series about these boys who have no home. So, they travel around the country, living in boxcars, and riding river rafts, solving mysteries! They had a successful run…. until the disastrous graphic novel adaptation" Steven added offhandedly. "But my favourite story is this classic one where the No Home boys are chased across the countryside by a mysterious pursuer, which turns out to be the very fear resting within themselves"

"That sounds really, really awful" Lapis said, sounding sincerely horrified by the prospect Steven had just described. "Why would anyone want to live without their home?"

"Well, in the final book of the series, the No Home boys do finally find their one, true home" Steven said, with a simple shrug. "So, maybe it's more the journey rather than the destination"

"How can they be pursued by their own fear?" Jasper said, with more contempt than confusion. "That doesn't even make sense"

"I think that part is meant to more metaphorical than literal" Steven answered. "But I also think the symbolic parallel of them being without a stable home is still applicable to our situation"

Jasper sighed and shook her head wearily, looking almost too exasperated to care at this point. " _This_ is our home, Steven" she said, as though she needed to make her point perfectly clear. "No matter what"

"Don't worry, Steven" Lapis said, deadly serious, raising her clenched fist in the air, looking ready to battle any number of terrifying foes. "No one is driving is from our home, no matter how many metaphors they have". Ending the discussion with that powerful edict, Lapis and Jasper both walked away from Steven, entering through the door of the Temple.

"Aw, I wish I could a No Home boy" Steven said, with some disappointment. "No past, no future. Just the open road. How about you Peridot? Peridot?"

Steven glanced around the Warp Pad, only now just realizing that Peridot seemed to have disappeared and was no longer standing beside him. He turned towards the kitchen and saw Peridot, standing in front of the window with, her arms crossed, with a pensive expression on her face as she stared out at nothing in particular.

"Peridot?" Steven said, walking up next to her.

"Huh?" she said, tearing her view away from the window to look down at Steven.

"Wouldn't you like to be No Home boy?" he asked earnestly as though there had been no interruption

"You mean wander around aimlessly, devoid of purpose and security, struggling for survival against a harsh and uncompromising environment?" Peridot replied with a deadpan expression, returning her gaze to the window.

Steven remained silent, allowing Peridot's bleak assessment to sink in and take its full effect.

"It did sound better when they describe it in the books" he admitted, resigning to the fact that Peridot likely had a valid a point. Steven moved closer to the window and leaned on the edge of the window, resting his hand in his arms as he stared out at the same abstract nothingness that Peridot was looking at.

"I guess in the end, maybe the whole adventure of the No Home boys is meant to give the reader a better appreciation for the home that they have." Steven said, after taking a moment to re-evaluate the books series.

"That is a…. logical lesson to take away, yes" Peridot said, indifferent. "We should appreciation our homes". As Peridot continued to stare out the window, she slowly cracked a smile, her dour mood starting to brighten again. "In fact, I especially appreciate my home" she said, her usual vigour and energy returning in full force. "Considering I have the best and most perfect home there ever was"

"Aww, Peridot" Steven said, looking up at her with a sweet smile. "That's such a nice thing to say about our home"

Peridot let out a brief scoff of laughter. "I wasn't referring to _this_ place, Steven" she said. "I was talking about _my_ home"

"Really? Oh, you because you came from Homeworld right?"

"Well, in the past, yes" Peridot said. "But I did have another home here on Earth before I had this one. "

"You lived somewhere else before you came here?" Steven said, in surprise, lifting his head from the window. Though he had never really asked, Steven had always assumed that Peridot, Jasper and Lapis had always lived in the Temple which had been at Beach City since before anyone could remember. It, and by extension them, just seemed to be there.

"That's right" Peridot said with another grin. "It was my home away from Homeworld. Although now I suppose it also serves as my home away from my home away from Homeworld. Don't mistake me" she added quickly, catching the concerned look in Steven's eye. "This place does mean a great deal to me as well, but I'll always carrying a special affection for my own personal dwelling. In fact, I still go there from time to time, whenever I feel I need to get away from everything"

Peridot smiled again, as she soon became lost in her own bragging. "It had everything you could possible want in a home. Good scenery, spacious accommodations, excellent fortifications against hostile enemy forces. Any No Home boy would undoubtedly give up their nomadic lifestyle once they saw the superior housing qualities of my old home"

"I wanna see your old home!" Steven exclaimed suddenly, jumping up in the air with excitement. "Is it far? Can we take a boxcar?"

Peridot immediately dropped her smile, her face going from very pleased to very reluctant at Steven's abrupt suggestion. Judging from the excited look on his face, Steven had taken everything Peridot had said to heart, while Peridot clearly had not anticipated that he would actually ask to see her home. Despite her reservations, Peridot paused, taking a moment to seriously consider it.

"I have been meaning to get back there to check up on some things" she whispered to herself, rubbing her chin with a thoughtful expression as she seemed to be weighing the options of her next decision carefully. Looking again at the pleading expression plastered on Steven's face, Peridot let out another cocky grin, having made up her mind.

"Okay!" she exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. "Let's go check out my old digs"

"Oh, wow!" Steven said, his eyes glimmering with joy and excitement, already picturing the adventure that lay ahead of them. "We're off on the run!"

_"It's time to get moving, time for us to have some fun. There's no time to hang around, our adventure's just begun. We'll be thinking 'bout our friends as we chase the setting sun. But we're leaving them behind, we're on the run. We-"_

"Steven, Steven!" Peridot said abruptly, cutting him off from the rest of his song; a brief record scratch may have gone off somewhere in the distance. Steven, who was now standing in the living room, his bindle packed and raised up in mid-air in a pose, slowly turned around to look at Peridot in surprise.

"We are not running away" she continued. "We're merely going out on a brief excursion and will then be returning back here later"

"Oh." Steven said, lowering his bindle again, allowing the moment to pass. His face soon lit up again with another smile. "Well, in that case I better leave a note, so Jasper and Lapis don't worry about us"

Steven quickly ran over to the kitchen counter, grabbing a pen and paper as he wrote down a quick note. Once the note was finished, Steven then carefully attached it to the refrigerator with a magnet, making sure it was perfectly visible. Satisfied, he rushed over to join Peridot on the Warp Pad which then lit up and warped the two of them out of the house.

* * *

Seconds later, Steven and Peridot landed on another Warp Pad, one Steven had never been to before. They appeared to be somewhere up in the mountains, miles away from Beach City, huge towers of black jagged rock standing on all sides of them, so high up that they obscured the sun. A cold breeze sent a shiver down Steven's spine as the wind howled in the distance.

Standing a few feet in front of the Warp Pad on which they landed, were two upright, stone pillars, each one looking to be centuries old, with Gem cravings etched down the sides, situated at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a massive, likely bottomless chasm. On the opposite end of the chasm was another cliffside jutting out alongside the face of the mountain.

Between the two pillars were series of flat, metal planks, suspended in the air by nothing whatsoever, stretching across the length of the chasm toward the opposite side, acting as bridge toward the other side.

Following Peridot's lead, the two of them stepped off the laptop and walked onto the suspended bridge. Steven playfully hopped along each of the floating planks one at a time, laughing goofily as he did, despite the obvious potential danger of falling off to his death, while Peridot calmly stepped across the planks, appearing unconcerned by Steven's antics, though she still had enough forethought to offhandedly catch Steven with her tractor beam when he nearly missed his landing on one of the planks.

After safely reaching the cliff on the opposite side of the bridge, Steven and Peridot now stood in front of a large, rectangular shaped archway, at least twenty feet high, carved into the front of the rock formation. Through the archway was a large tunnel leading deeper into the mountain, much like an abandoned mining shaft. Maybe this was an abandoned mine shaft, Steven thought, but for Gems instead of humans?

They entered into the tunnel, which was pitch black with no form of illumination on the walls or ceiling to guide their path. Clearly expecting this, Peridot released a beam of light from the gem on her forehead, which acted much like a traditional flashlight. Peridot then lead the way down the tunnel, with Steven following closely behind, not wanting to get separated as it was still quite dark; Steven didn't want to admit it, but he found the environment to be a little creepy.

"You lived a in a cave?" Steven asked, his voice echoing off the walls.

"No, my home is on the other side of this passageway" Peridot replied.

Now that there was light, Steven noticed the smooth and sleek like cutting along the walls, likely having been done with tools far too precise and advanced for human hands.

They trekked through the empty tunnel in complete silence, aside from the platter of their footfall and an occasional drip of water somewhere in the distance. As they rounded a long bend in the tunnel, Steven began to see a faint light coming up upon them. As the light began to fill the tunnel, Peridot deactivated the light from her gem, as they were able to make of the rest of the way. The light suddenly became so strong, it forced Steven to momentarily raise his arm to shield his eyes. Steven could also begin to feel a change in the temperature as the humidity seemed to be rising as they neared the end of the tunnel.

When they finally reached the end of the tunnel, Steven lowered his arm, blinking a couple of times, allowing his eyes a minute to adjust. Once they finally did, he let out a small gasp at the sight laid out before him.

Steven and Peridot were standing at the edge of a huge, tropical jungle, with lush emerald treetops as far as the eye could see. The sky above them was as blue and clear as the ocean, with sun shining directly down upon them in full view. At the furthers edge of the jungle was an unbroken chain of mountains, acting much like a wall which circled the valley, effectively cutting it off any contact from the outside world.

And although the natural landscape appeared to be unspoiled, Steven spotted several large hexadecimal shaped towers scattered throughout the jungle, rising up above the treetops. They were overrun with moss, vines and other plant life, as well as obvious signs of structural damage done by some unknown forces. Steven couldn't tell if these things were supposed to be buildings or what their overall function might be.

This change in scenery was so unexpected that Steven could hardly believe it. It was like that the tunnel they had just come through was really in fact a portal, transporting them from a land of desolation to a land of prosperity. It was truly beautiful.

"You lived in a jungle?" Steven asked, pulling his eyes away from the majestic scene and turning to Peridot in disbelief.

"Well, not exactly" Peridot said a with a brief shrug. "My home is down there within this secluded ecosphere. Come on, it's not far now!"

Giggling with pure glee, Peridot rushed from the tunnel like a child entering their favourite playground, while Steven calmly followed her.

Just as Steven took the first step out of the tunnel, he noticed something odd about the ground directly in front of him. Unlike everywhere else that was covered in plant life, the ground at the foot of the tunnel entrance was barren, the dirt churned and furrowed in a series of strange curved tracks. It looked like someone had picked up something very big and heavy, and dragged it around in a circle across the ground several hundred times for whatever unknowable reason.

Pushing this mystery out of his mind, Steven quickly followed after Peridot who was already disappearing into the jungle's tree line. Despite the tense foliage, Peridot walked with the quick pace and ease of someone who knew exactly where they were going, likely having made this trek dozens of times herself, while Steven would occasionally fumble over an unseen rock or have stray branch hit him in the face as he trailed behind Peridot.

They walked for another short while much like they did before, except now they had substituted the dark and creepy tunnel with a humid and exotic jungle. Just as they entered into a small glade, Peridot suddenly let out a small squeal of delight, recognising the area they were in at once. She rushed forward ahead of Steven, peering out through a thick wall of leaves, as if checking something was there. She turned back to face Steven, with an ecstatic look on her face.

"Prepare your vision spheres Steven," Peridot said, with a touch of dramatic flair. "As they are most likely to about to violently _implode_ with amazement from the glorious sight they are about to behold!"

Steven stared at Peridot in silence, not really what to make of that statement, but opted not to dwell too much on it.

"Maybe, I'll just close my eyes?" Steven suggested helpfully, covering his eyes with both hands. Smiling in agreement, Peridot quickly trotted behind Steven and placed her hands on his on shoulders, hurriedly pushing him along through the dense leaves at such a rapid pace that Steven almost had to sprint to keep up, until finally they stopped.

"Ok….look!"

Steven pulled his hands apart and opened his eyes. He let out a small gasp. It took a little while for Steven's brain to fully register what he was seeing. Despite all the craziness and out-of-this-world things he had witnessed in his short life, he still manged to retain some suspension of disbelief. That was official gone now.

Sprawled out in front of them in the middle of a large clearing, surrounded by trees and entangled in network of vines, was a gigantic, green hand, so large that Steven thought it couldn't possible have belonged to anything other than a real life giant. Its open palm was big enough that it could flatten Steven's entire house in one swat. Each of its five fingers were pointed upwards into the sky, like skyscrapers, although both the thumb and the tip of its ring finger were broken off. And it wasn't just the size of the hand either; its skin was sleek and seamless, and radiated with a kind of translucent shine as the sun reflected its surface.

"You lived in a giant hand?!" Steven exclaimed in both shock and wonder. Steven glanced to the other side of the clearing, checking to see if there any kind of arm or lower body attached to the rest of the hand, but this did not turn out to be the case, as he saw that the hand stop at the wrist level, ending in a small stump with a clean cut.

"I didn't just live it Steven" Peridot said, grinning broadly, clearly enjoying the impression she had already made. "I _flew_ in it. This was once my own personal spaceship"

"That's a spaceship?! You have your own spaceship!?" Steven cried, slapping both hands to the side of his head, his brain going into overload from all these shocking revelations. "Who _are_ you?"

"Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG" she replied without missing a beat. "Now, do you want to see the _inside_?" she asked, raising her eyebrows up and down in a mischievous manner.

Steven nodded his head in earnest, the excitement in his chest beginning to rise higher than before, as he had never stepped foot inside an actual spaceship before. Or at the least, he had never set foot inside anything he didn't assume was a spaceship.

He followed closely behind Peridot as walked across the open clearing, thin blades of grass sprouting out from the ground reaching past Steven's ankles. They approached the exterior of the hand, which appeared completely unblemished from any dirt or rust; it might have only been there for a short time.

Now that they were closer, Steven couldn't see any distinguishable markings or lines that may have signified any form of entrance, yet he remained silent and watched as Peridot approached the turquoise coloured wall that stood before them.

Peridot raised her right hand up to the exterior of the ship, allowing the tips of her metal digits to touch the metal surface. The solid wall appeared to liquefy upon contact with her Peridot's fingers as they merged seamlessly into the smooth green material as though she had just inserted a set of keys into their corresponding lock. A ring of light then formed at the point of contact with Peridot's fingers and moments later, a section of the green wall next to them started to recede, the green material rippling like a water and pulling itself apart to form a hole-shaped doorway leading inside the ship. Steven glanced inside the hole to try and make out the inside of the ship, but he could see nothing but empty darkness.

Giggling happily, Peridot detached her hand from the wall and hurriedly stepped through the newly made hole, beckoning Steven to follow after her, which he did, albeit with a little more hesitance.

Once Steven had entered, the hole sealed itself again behind him again, leaving both himself and Peridot in total darkness. Peridot must have then flicked some kind of automatic switch as a series of lights appeared along the ceiling, allowing Steven to get a proper look at the interior of the ship.

They were standing in a long, hexagonal shaped hallway. The walls and the floor of the hallway were made of metal, which looked far more robust than the outside of the ship. Steven glanced up and noticed strange yellow tubes embedded into the ceiling, which reminded Steven much of the interior of the Temple. Some of the tubes were broken, dripping an unknown yellow liquid down to the floor.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, it was even more impressive when it was operational" Peridot said, looking smug and pleased with herself as Steven stared wide eyed around the ship.

"You mean it can't fly?" Steven asked while glancing down each end of the hallway.

"Unfortunately, no. But when it could fly, it was capable of crossing half a galaxy in less than 70 years. And that's without the duel gravity engine upgrade. Plus, it has shielding from solar radiation. The auxiliary weapons system was also top of the line. And the touch stumps on this version are completely symmetrical. They used to build these things without a consistent model. How unprofessional is that?"

"Uh, yeah" Steven said, with an awkward chuckle, not entirely sure if he understood the context. "You have a lot of extra rooms here" he said, only noticing a long series of open rooms that stretched along one side of the hallway.

"Oh, those were never used" Peridot replied, with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "At least not when I got this ship. Oh, now let me show you the bridge!"

With the same kind of excited glee as before, Peridot lead Steven down the hallway, until finally they entered into a large circular chamber, like some kind of atrium. The ceiling above their heads was a dome shape with a large glass window in the center which appeared to be heavily damaged from an obvious impact, the glass partially cracked, and some places shattered outright with vines crawling in from the outside.

On the other side of the atrium were five doorways, each one leading to another one of the same hexadecimal shaped hallways they had just entered through. In the center of the floor was a large Gem symbol that Steven had vague feeling he had seen before; it was of a large triangle, with three smaller overlapping triangles in the middle of it, each of a different colour, one yellow, one blue and one white.

"How come this place looks bigger on the inside than it does on the outside?" Steven asked glancing around the atrium, which seemed to expand the longer he looked at it. "Is it magic?"

"It's more complicated than that, Steven" Peridot said, bringing up a display on her finger-screen. "You see by manipulating fundamental forces to re-orientate dimensional space, we can…." Peridot trailed off as she noticed the blank and innocuous look on Steven's face.

"Yes, it's magic" she said flatly, dropping her screen. "Moving on. The bridge is this way"

Peridot lead Steven down into the left most hallway. It wasn't long before they came to an open doorway, leading into a new room, one which reminded Steven a little of Peridot's observatory. At the far end of the room was a large glass window, which appeared to be intact aside from some minor cracks along the corners. The window was looking up toward the sky as though the room inside was pointed upside down, which threw off Steven's sense of gravity. Below the window was a kind of curved slab made of some kind of clear green liquid. They approached the slab and Just as she had done outside, Peridot placed one of her digits into green material which became liquid upon her touch. The slab began to hum as streaks of white lights passed along the inside of it.

A pool of turquoise coloured liquid rose up from the floor beside Peridot, solidifying into a legless, diamond shaped chair which hovered a few inches off the floor.

Peridot sat down in her newly chair expectedly, but before she could make the room do anything else for herself, she paused, turning to her side and saw Steven ogling her new chair. Peridot sent out another burst of white light from her digit into the slab; another pool of liquid came out from the floor, creating a second, smaller chair. Steven wasted no time before he hopped into the chair, laughing as he performed a few spins in it.

"Still functions" Peridot said, patting the slab in a gesture of pride. "From this command console I could operate the entire ship. I still use to backup all my log files so that I can come back here review them. It's so much less stressful in familiar environment such as this"

Peridot placed the rest of fingers into her command console as streaks of light fired along the surface, like electricity passing through circuits.

A translucent and rectangular computer screen appeared above the console taking up the view of the cracked window. The screen briefly displayed a static image before changing to show Peridot, standing within the Beach House, speaking into what must have been her own finger-screen.

"Peridot, log date. Today has been quite unproductive as we spent the majority of our time fighting a sentient mass of peanut butter which Steven had accidentally brought to life. A side note, we are now out of peanut butter"

"This is so cool" Steven gushed, sticking his hands inside the console much to his delight, laughing as he felt the strange green material wash through his finger until Peridot pulled him out again.

"So, where did you get your own spaceship?" Steven asked, sitting back in his chair, now wondering if Jasper and Lapis had their own private spaceships as well.

Peridot flashed Steven another cocky smile, likely having been waiting for Steven to ask her this very question.

"This ship was given to me as part of an extremely important assignment." she replied with eager anticipation. "You see, Steven, I was once a Warp Pad maintenance technician. My purpose was travel to different planets and star systems, helping to repair, install and appraise Warp Pads, as well as other Gem communication hubs"

"Is that how come you know so much about Warp Pads?" Steven asked. Peridot nodded impressively. Another thought then occurred to Steven.

"So how did you end up here on Earth?" he asked.

Peridot sent another unspecified command into the console with her fingers. The computer screen changed showing images of a stars, with lines drawn in form of a map.

"Thousands of years ago, I was sent out on a mission in a faraway part of this galaxy" Peridot continued. "This ship was assigned to me as my transport as a special privilege due to the length of the journey itself being too great for a standard vessel".

The screen changed to show images of the Earth in the middle of space.

"I wasn't supposed to come here. It wasn't part of my mission. But I as I was passing this section of space, I realized that I was within close proximity to the planet Earth. I had heard stories about this place back on Homeworld, but I had never actually been here myself. Thanks to my diligence and efficiency, I had completed my initial assignment earlier than was anticipated, saving up ample time for my return trip So, I thought that perhaps I could use the spare time to come here and have a look at the Earth for myself. I mean, there was no rule saying I _couldn't _come for a visit and I thought I earned break"__

__The screen changed to show images of a hollowed-out section of land, as well as blueprints of the hexadecimal shaped towers Steven had seen outside._ _

__"I came to this location, as this site was originally a Gem space port where ships could land and transport cargo. It seemed the most logical location to leave my ship, while I went out to explore. I only intended to stay here for a short time, but as soon as my ship entered into this area, I was attacked by a Gem monster"_ _

__The screen changed again, now showing a terrifying, huge and sinister looking serpent, with bat like wings and fangs the size of a tree trunks, lunging at the unseen camera, its body surrounded by an electrical current; a line of five different coloured Gems were etched along the creature's back._ _

__"The creature had the ability to siphon energy" Peridot said, with a small touch of bitterness in her voice, glaring at the monster on the screen with a kind of mutual understandable animosity. "It drained the ship's engine of all its power, forcing me to crash land here. And during the crash, the communications array was heavily damaged, beyond my ability to repair, leaving me stranded here with no way to get off the planet or call for help"_ _

__"That sounds really scary" Steven said, beginning to feel an ominous chill down his spine. He could hardly imagine what it could be like to be stranded in the jungle on another planet, and quickly started to hope that he would never get stuck in a situation like that._ _

__"Luckily, I wasn't about to let that stop me" Peridot said with yet another proud smile as the focus of the story now shifted back to her achievements. "I knew there had to be some old Gem tech somewhere on this planet that could help me repair my ship. All I needed to do was find. Unfortunately, the Gem creature that attacked me was nested in this area, blocking the only access point to the nearest Warp Pad. It guarded the tunnel continuously. It would never leave or allow me to pass almost like it was acting on some kind of instinct. With the only available Warp Pad out of reach and the mountainous terrain too high to climb, I was trapped here."_ _

__"Why couldn't you just fly out? You know, with your…" Steven stuck out his tongue, loudly blowing raspberries and making a spinning gesture with his index finger in an attempted to imitate Peridot's finger-copter_ _

__"Uh, no. I was somewhat… incapacitated" Peridot said, looking away from Steven, briefly running her right hand over her left arm, as though trying to cover some kind of embarrassing scar. "I admit, I was mildly concerned. But as always, I kept a level head and took control of the situation, making this ship by my main base of operations as I planned my escape"_ _

__Steven could picture it in his mind; Peridot, battling her way through the jungle outside in a bid for survival, laying traps, building spears, swinging through the trees. But then again, Steven remembered that this _was_ Peridot, so he couldn't help but think that maybe would be a few instances of hysterical, panicked induced screaming, followed by a number of temper tantrums and various painful setbacks._ _

__"So, how long did you live here?" Steven asked, deciding to change the topic slightly._ _

__"I lived here for many years actually. Most of that time was spent trying to find a way past the Corrupted Gem. And while I came very close to success numerous times, it proved to be an opponent worthy of my skill. Then finally, one day, your mother, Jasper and Lapis came here. Together, they combined as a Fusion and defeated the Corrupted Gem."_ _

__"So, Mom and the Crystal Gems saved you?" Steven said, smiling._ _

__"Actually, no" Peridot replied bluntly, making Steven drop his smile. "Once I realized who they were, I tried to run away. But after masterfully outmanoeuvring them for quite some, I was finally caught."_ _

__"Why would they want to capture you?" Steven asked, confused. "You were just in trouble"_ _

__"Because back then, I was Homeworld Gem" Peridot replied, with neither a hint of shame nor pride. "They assumed that I was here to cause danger for the Earth just like Homeworld did before. Jasper and Lapis didn't like me very much. But Rose offered me help when I needed it the most. She showed me all of the new kinds of possibilities here on Earth."_ _

__The screen changed again, now showing dozens of different images, ranging from majestic waterfalls and green fields, to things as mundane as a cat's scratching post and a microwave. There was so many varieties of different images, that they couldn't possibly have been gathered in a single lifetime. Not a human one anyway_ _

__"Rose showed me the life that lives on this world, beyond this jungle" Peridot said, gazing over her collection of memories with joy and pride. "Could you imagine my surprise when I found out the whole planet was like this jungle! I thought everything beyond these mountains was nothing was a barren wasteland! There was so much here to see. So much for me to do."_ _

__Peridot glanced away from the screen, down to her hands, which were still merged with the command console; they fit together so seamlessly, one could hardly tell where the console ended and where Peridot's arm began. She pulled her hands out of the console, allowing the screen to turn blank again, as though under some kind of discomfort._ _

__"But even after I gained an entire world to myself, sooner or later I always kept coming back here" she said, a little ruefully. "This ship, it's always felt familiar to me. It's the one place on this whole planet that's never been new to me. It reminds me of Homeworld"_ _

__"Do you miss Homeworld?" Steven asked, edging his chair closer to Peridot's._ _

__Peridot leaned back in her chair and turned away from Steven, staring at an exposed panel on the other side of the room while he patiently for her to answer._ _

__"Sometimes" she admitted. Peridot sighed and turned back to look at the console. "I know I can never go back to Homeworld, but it's hard. Not to have some feelings for where you came from. It was easier for Rose and the others, considering the circumstances"_ _

__They sat in silence for a long moment, the atmosphere having now taken a much melancholier turn. Steven absent kicked his legs back and forth a few times, trying to re-ignite some of the earlier enthusiasm they when they began this adventure, but this did not seem to work. His mind was stuck on the last thing Peridot had said._ _

__"Peridot, what was the bad thing that Jasper was talking about before?" Steven asked finally. He didn't know if she would answer him or not. He didn't feel like he cared either. He just felt like he needed to blurt it out. "What were the Homeworld Gems trying to do here?"_ _

__"Well, that's simple" Peridot replied casually as if Steven had just asked her for the time. She sat up straight in her chair and re-inserted her metal digits into the console, bringing up a new display. "In fact, it actually has a lot to do with Rose herself and her origins. You see, it begins with-"_ _

__"WHAT ARE YOU TWO _DOING_?!"_ _

__Both Steven and Peridot froze up as they heard a very familiar and very angry voice booming loudly throughout the chamber. Peridot instantly pulled her fingers out of the command console, the screen disappearing at once. They slowly turning around in their chairs, and to their individual horror, saw Jasper, standing at the entrance of the chamber, looking absolutely furious._ _

__"Hi Jasper" Steven said, with a weak smile, stepping out of his chair as she began to march across the room toward them. "We were just, ah-"_ _

__"You. Shut it" Jasper said, pointing a sharp finger at Steven, silencing him at once, while keeping her eyes focused on Peridot the whole time._ _

__"What do you think you're doing here?" Jasper demanded, towering over the smaller Gem. Peridot gulped slightly, standing up out of her chair, having to suppress a brief shaking in her legs as she stood before Jasper._ _

__"Clearly, I am showing Steven my old spaceship" Peridot said, recomposing herself quickly as to appear unintimidated. "A better question is what are _you_ doing? How'd you even know we were here?"_ _

__Jasper raised up her right hand, holding a small, square piece of paper between her thumb and index finger, which Steven quickly recognized as the same note he had left on the fridge before they left._ _

__"Dear Jasper and Lapis" Jasper said, reading the note aloud. "Peridot and I are going to visit Peridot's old home. Don't worry, we are not a running away even though we thought about it. Love, Steven. Smiley face"_ _

__Looking very much unamused, Jasper crumpled the note in her hand and tossed it to the floor. Peridot cast an annoyed glance in Steven's direction, as he offered Peridot a bashful smile in return, shrugging his shoulders helplessly._ _

__"What have you told Steven?" Jasper demanded angrily, her eyes briefly flashing to the computer screen._ _

__"Nothing considering that you interrupted us" Peridot said, with more dry sarcasm than the situation may have called for. "Steven simply wanted to know more about Homeworld"_ _

__"He's not _ready_ to know about that yet" Jasper said in a low growl._ _

__"Well how is he supposed to be ready for anything if he doesn't have the nesscessary knowledge to be prepared?" Peridot shot back defensively_ _

__"That's not for you to decide!"_ _

__Steven felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck and rubbed his arm slightly, suddenly wishing he had not asked Peridot about Homeworld. He hated to think that he caused so much trouble from asking a simple question._ _

__Peridot rolled her eyes again, placing her hands on her hips, now beginning to look more annoyed with Jasper than afraid. "Look, I was only going to tell Steven what I thought would be the most relevant facts of what occurred here 6000 years ago, so he could better understand-"_ _

__"You don't know _anything_ about what happened here!" Jasper snapped, swinging her arm wide and swatting the diamond shaped chair with a strong backhand, sending it fly across the room, causing both Steven and Peridot to flinch at Jasper's sudden outburst._ _

__Jasper then advanced in Peridot, moving so fast, forcing Peridot to back up right into the command console, cowing underneath Jasper's intense stare, now looking truly scared._ _

__"Who do you think you're fooling?" Jasper said, jabbing Peridot in the chest with a single finger, but it was still enough force to knock Peridot push into the console just as she attempted to get up. "You brought Steven here just to show off your old ship. I can't believe you still come here to this worthless pile of junk"_ _

__Peridot ceased her cowering, a spark of her usual fearlessness now lighting up in her eyes again, as she pushed herself off the console, looking Jasper dead in the eye._ _

__"I can go wherever I like." Peridot growled in a low voice, holding her ground._ _

__"Oh, really?" Jasper sneered, with a derisive smile. "Does that include back to Homeworld?"_ _

__Peridot's expression suddenly faltered, and she turned away from Jasper. From the side-lines, Steven glanced back and forth between the two Gems, growing more and more worried at the way this exchange was going._ _

__"That's what this is really about isn't it?" Jasper said, observing Peridot's reaction carefully. "You want to go back there, don't you?"_ _

__Peridot did not answer Jasper, instead keeping her eyes on the floor, before she finally turned back to the Quartz soldier with an unwavering stare._ _

__"I chose to make the Earth my home" she said. "That makes me just as much of Crystal Gem as you, but you never seem to treat me like one. You and Lapis, you always look at me like I'm different. No matter I do, it's like I can never be like one of you. "_ _

__"That's because you're not like me or Lapis and you never will be!" Jasper snapped. "You never here when it all happened."_ _

__"When….what happened?" Steven asked, very quietly, feeling like he had been forgotten about completely. And right now, he couldn't help but think that was a good thing._ _

__"Just because I wasn't here 6000 years ago, doesn't make me any less of a Crystal Gem than you!" Peridot said, standing up on her heels, bringing her face directly up to Jasper's. "The Earth helped to set me free too!"_ _

__"You think you know anything about being Crystal Gem!?" Jasper roared at Peridot, forcing her to back down again. "You have no idea what it means to be one of us. Do you have any idea what I've been through? Do you have any idea what _Lapis_ has been through?"_ _

__Peridot opened her mouth to reply, but Jasper didn't her the chance, relentless in her verbal assault._ _

__"All you did was get a little lost and Rose decided we should keep you, like a pet. A loud, annoying, clinging little pet!" Jasper spat. "You expect me to feel sorry for you like she did? I fought alongside so many great Gems here on this planet, Gems I'm never going to see again. We risked everything for Rose and the Earth. What the heck did you risk? Nothing!"_ _

__Ever world out of Jasper's mouth just seemed to bring Peridot further and further down, as she hung head low, staring hard into the floor._ _

__"How about you do us all a favour and stop embarrassing yourself" Jasper said. "Unless you know what it means to fight for this place, you have no right calling yourself a Crystal Gem!"_ _

__Steven felt now something very unpleasant jab him in the stomach, almost like a dagger and he now greatly wished he was somewhere else entirely, away from this whole conversation._ _

__Once she had finally finished her tirade, Jasper stared at Peridot, but then gave her odd look of surprise. She had clearly been expecting Peridot to get angry or give some kind of snarky reply as per usual custom. Instead, Peridot simply stood there, her head hanging low and refusing to budge._ _

__"So, what?" Jasper said, curtly, trying to hide any sense of concern that she may have gone too far and somehow broke Peridot. "Got nothing to say for once?"_ _

__Steven held his breath, watching Peridot nervously. Much like Jasper, he had no idea what to expect from her at this point. Finally, Peridot raised her right arm up in front of Jasper and without looking up, placed the tip of her metal finger into the middle of Jasper's chest._ _

__"You have something on your shirt" she said, in a low voice._ _

__For a moment Jasper appeared so bemused that she didn't know how to respond, until she finally cracked a small grin. "That's it?" she said with a slight scoff, glancing down at her own chest. "You know, I actually expected-"_ _

__Moving in the blink of an eye, Peridot pointed her metal finger directly underneath Jasper's chin and before she could react, fired a bolt of green energy from her finger-cannon right into Jasper's lower jaw, blasting her up into the air until she came crashing down on the other side of the room._ _

__Steven gasped, his mouth gaping in horror as he glanced back and forth between Peridot and the fallen Jasper. He didn't know what to be more worried about; the fact that Peridot had just attacked Jasper, or the fact that Peridot had just attacked Jasper and was not immediately running away as fast as possible._ _

__Instead, Peridot remained exactly where she was, bellowing loudly at Jasper from across the room. "I am a Crystal Gem!"_ _

__Jasper's body stirred from where she was lying as she slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. She raised her head up, glaring at Peridot with such a cold and fierce stare, it was clear that this was no childish game any longer._ _

__"I am the one who destroyed the black cubes to keep Homeworld from coming here" Peridot continued, not the showing the least bit of fear. "I saved you and Lapis when you went crazy as Malachite. I have done more than enough to prove myself. But it's never enough for you, because clearly, as a Quartz soldier, the only the thing you can understand is fighting! Well, fine! If that's what it takes, then I'll show you how much of a Crystal Gem I am!"_ _

__Peridot raised her fists in the air and spread out her legs wide, in undisciplined yet determined fighting stance._ _

__Across the room, Jasper glared Peridot in silence, her anger now coupled with a new sense of intrigue. Slowly, she rose back up to full height, cracking her neck from side to side, clenching her knuckles tightly._ _

__"Ok, runt" she growled, her crash helmet materializing over her head in a brief flash of light. "Show me!"_ _

__"Wait, you guys can't fight each other!" Steven cried, thinking that they both must have gone insane at this point._ _

__"Stay out of this, Steven!" Peridot and Jasper yelled simultaneously, their eyes locked onto each other. There was no stopping this now._ _

__Making the first move, Jasper launched herself forward, charging right at Peridot with her signature comet dash attack. Peridot raised her arm and fired her tractor beam from the palm of her hand, catching Jasper within the green bubble of energy. With a smirk, Peridot spun around on her heel and flung Jasper back across the room from she had started._ _

__"Ha!" Peridot jeered, before sticking out her tongue to Jasper and pulling down her lower eyelid._ _

__Growling deeply, Jasper dug her fingers into the floor and ripped out a huge chunk of metal, throwing it at Peridot as a projectile, who caught it instinctively within her tractor beam just as before. But this is what Jasper had wanted, as the moment Peridot caught the piece of metal floor, Jasper jumped over head and came crashing down upon Peridot, who just barely dodged out of the way of Jasper's crash helmet as it slammed into the floor, the impact strong enough to shake the entire room, knocking Peridot off her feet, not to mention Steven._ _

__Climbing back to her feet to floor to balance herself, Peridot activated her finger-cannon and fired a bolt of green energy at Jasper. Jasper didn't attempt to dodge it, instead she lowered her head and deflected the bolt using her crash helmet._ _

__Peridot began to fire another barrage of bolts at Jasper in a rapid succession. Jasper rushed forward, tucking insider her body and rolling into her ball form, the green energy bolts bouncing her spiky body as she rushed forward. Peridot only had enough time to register a brief look of shock and dread as Jasper ploughed into her, carrying her straight through the nearest wall and out of the room._ _

__After a brief explosion, the two Gems landed back in the atrium area in cloud of dust, Peridot laying sprawled out on the floor. Just as Peridot struggled to get back up, an orange hand reached out and gripped her tightly around the helm of vest, pulling her up into the air._ _

__"Is that it?!" Jasper yelled, sounding both angry and disappointed as Peridot struggled to break free of her grasp. "Is this the best you can do against me?"_ _

__Peridot grunted loudly, unable to pull herself free from Jasper. She then raised her right hand and generated a stream of electricity on the tip of finger. She pressed her finger down onto Jasper's arm, sending the current of electricity through her body. The electricity briefly stunned her, but Jasper soon shook it off like it was nothing but a cold shower before she threw Peridot across the room._ _

__"You think you're tough, huh?" Jasper said, slowly advancing on Peridot. "You think that you have what it takes to fight _them_ when they come back here? You think can risk everything you have to save your friends and your home? When you can't even beat me!"_ _

__Just as Jasper was on top of her, Peridot raised her finger-cannon, but Jasper swiftly caught her by the wrist, pulling her arm up, sending the shot up to the glass dome. Peridot lunged at Jasper with her left hand, preparing another electrical attack, but Jasper soon grabbed that arm as well._ _

__Peridot grunted as Jasper pulled both her arms apart preventing her from attacking or escaping._ _

__"So, what now?" Jasper said with disgust. "How do you plan on getting out of this?"_ _

__Peridot snarled at Jasper angrily and started kicking her in the shin with her right foot which had as much effect as a piece of paper would against a brick wall. Jasper watched Peridot with apathy as she screamed loudly and kicked her again with she assumed to be all of her strength._ _

__From out of nowhere, a broken piece of metal came flying through the air over Peridot's head and smacking Jasper on the forehead, the shock of the impact enough to force her to let out of Peridot as she rubbed her head._ _

__Now free again, Peridot stared at Jasper in surprise, not entirely sure of what just happened. She glanced down at the piece of metal on the floor and then over her shoulder to see that no one was standing behind her._ _

__But that mystery no longer mattered. Now looking to have finally snapped, Jasper reached her hand out and grabbed Peridot by the top of her head, holding her up in the air. Pulling back her fist, Jasper punched Peridot squarely in the chest, sending flying across the room to the center of the atrium, where she landed on the yellow triangle on the Gem mural._ _

__"So, that's it?" Jasper snapped. "You done after all that? I've seen Pebbles that fight better than that!_ _

__Peridot tried to get back up again, but that last attack still left her body reeling and she collapsed to the floor again and could nothing as Jasper now stood over her._ _

__"If this is really the best you can do, then maybe you should stay here and hide_ _

__Peridot only had enough time to raise to her head and throw one last defiant look at Jasper who was about to land the final punch to end this fight._ _

__"Jasper, STOP!"_ _

__Jasper's fist was blocked from making contact with Peridot by a thin, pink barrier which easily absorbed the force of her punch. The barrier expanded and surrounded all her around in a bubble, cutting her off from Peridot completely. Surprised, Jasper glanced around the newly formed prison until she noticed something pulling at the heel of her leg. Looking down, she saw Steven, his eyes closed, brimming with tears and his arms wrapped tightly around her calf, as if trying to hold her back._ _

__"Steven, let go!"_ _

__Steven looked up to Jasper, shaking his head, squeezing her leg even tighter as more tears formed in his eyes._ _

__"Please, you have to stop this!" he cried desperately. "How can you attack Peridot like that? She's your friend!"_ _

__"She wanted this!" Jasper snapped, unapologetic, pushing Steven off her leg and looking more than ready to continue the fight, but saw that she was still impeded by Steven's bubble, which had to yet to dissipate, keeping the two of them trapped._ _

__"But she's the one whose hurt!" Steven said, pointing his hand at Peridot in an attempt to make Jasper understand. "Can't you see that?"_ _

__Jasper turned to look at Peridot who was glaring back her through the titl of the pink bubble. For a moment the two Crystal Gems stared hard at one another, their mutual animosity for one another give slowly giving away, replacing itself with something else entirely. Something that wasn't worth fighting about._ _

__Releasing a long, tense sigh, Jasper's helmet disappeared from her brow. Taking that as an assurance, Steven dropped his bubble, without even realizing he had done it, before he immediately rushed over to Peridot, hoping she was not badly hurt_ _

__"Peridot" Steven said, reaching his hand out to help herm but she the swung her arm at him to keep away_ _

__"No, forget it!" she snapped angrily at Steven. "I need you. I don't need anyone!"_ _

__Peridot rose back to her feet, spreading her arms out wide, as if gesturing to the entire room itself._ _

__" _This_ is all I need. This is my place and nowhere else! Because I'm just a parasite who doesn't belong here. I should never have even come here. Then I wouldn't have to put up with all the horrible, painful, terrifying, wonderful, amazing and beautiful things on this planet!"_ _

__The longer Peridot ranted, the higher her voice rose with emotion, tears coming to her eyes, everything from her anger to her passion bubbling to the surface. Once she was finished, Peridot looked equally embarrassed and angry, either from allowing herself to lose control or from expunging all her feelings at once._ _

__Glaring at Jasper one last time, Peridot turned her back to both her and Steven, walking over to the side of the atrium, sitting down on the floor and hugged her legs to her chest._ _

__Jasper threw her hands up in the air, letting out a frustrated groan at Peridot's sullen attitude. She quite looked ready to simply leave things as they were, her eyes already focusing on the nearest exit. But before she could take her first step, Steven grabbed her by the hand to pull her back._ _

__"Steven" Jasper said, warningly. She looked down at the little human, who stared up at her with a pleading, almost desperate expression._ _

__Jasper was about to say something, but then she grimaced awkwardly from his stare. She didn't want to admit it, but it was honestly times like this when Steven looked so much like Rose. That same look could always convince Jasper to do just about anything no matter how much she complained. Seeing there was no way of getting out of this, Jasper gently released her hand from Steven's and walked over Peridot._ _

__Jasper stood behind Peridot, not so much as a single thought coming to mind as to what to say next. She turned back to Steven who gave her an encouraging thumbs up, having the utmost faith that she would succeed._ _

__"Alright, look, I know for a fact that I'm not the nicest Quartz ever made" Jasper said, deciding to start with the obvious._ _

__"Yes, you're likely the most unpleasantly one ever made" Peridot said, pointedly. The sad part was, she didn't really intend that as an insult._ _

__Jasper briefly let out a small growl in the back of her throat but managed to keep herself restrained. "I'm…sorry for what I said before" she said, in a softer and more respectful tone. "I was wrong to say you weren't really a Crystal Gem. You're right. You have proven yourself. I should know better than to doubt you"_ _

__"Thank you" Peridot said, without turning to look back at Jasper. "I accept your apology"_ _

__There was a brief moment of silence. Peridot made no move to get up from her position._ _

__"So….you feel better now?" Jasper asked._ _

__"No" Peridot said flatly._ _

__Jasper gritted her teeth, slapping her hand to her forehead in frustration. "What do you want from me?!"_ _

__"Ask her what's bothering her" Steven whispered in the background._ _

__Jasper glanced briefly in Steven's direction and groaned heavily. "What's bothering you?" she muttered, in a very poor attempt at sounding compassionate._ _

__"You" Peridot replied simply. "You bother me"_ _

__Jasper turned back to Steven, who gave another smile and made a waving gesture with his hand, signalling Jasper to keep prodding._ _

__"How am I bothering you?" Jasper said, going back to Peridot again._ _

__Peridot finally moved again, turning her head around, looking at Jasper with a dull glare in her eyes. "The way you look at me. The same way you've looked at me since the day that we meet. Like I was an enemy."_ _

__Jasper stared at Peridot, unsure what to say, because any she might have said may have sounded like denial._ _

__"You act like I don't know anything because I wasn't here at the beginning" Peridot said bitterly. "That's not my fault. And I don't understand why it has to make a difference. But it is a difference. Not just with you, but with Lapis too. You have all that history. And I don't"._ _

__Peridot sighed and rested her head down on her knees as she wrapped her arms around her legs, feeling all the more miserable. Jasper observed her carefully. This time she didn't turn to Steven for any kind of assistance. Steven himself was now watching both of them with a mixture of anticipation and concern._ _

__"Ok, look, it's true. I have always treated you like an outsider" Jasper admitted. "For a while it was just me, Lapis and Rose. Then you came along and before I even realized what was happening, you became one of us. I admit that I didn't trust or even like you at first. I had to learn to accept you no matter what my feelings were. But the truth is, there was always a part of me that…maybe resented you a little"_ _

__"Because I was a Homeworld Gem" Peridot said, lowering her head._ _

__"No, because I felt cheated." Jasper said. Peridot look back at Jasper, surprised by her response. She was then doubly surprised when Jasper walked closer and then sat down on the floor right next to her. There was no trace of her usual anger or uncaring. Instead, Jasper appeared quite solemn._ _

__"Peridot, when I said you don't know what it was like here, I really mean that" she said, her words sounding heavy as they fell from her lips. "You don't know what…any of it was like. We made decision that we could never take back, we made sacrifices that almost cost us ever, we fought a battle that would change our lives forever. Me and Rose and Lapis and the Crystal Gems. "_ _

__Jasper stared down at the mural on the floor, before glancing over her shoulder in Steven's direction, her expression unreadable, before looking back at Peridot._ _

__"I'm not saying it was all bad for us" Jasper said. "Or that I wouldn't do it again, but none of it was easy. It's just…I can't even explain it." Jasper clenched her knuckles, her body tensing up for a brief moment as though instinctively expecting some kind of attack. "You could never understand unless you were actually here for. You and I just have a different experience of the Earth. That's all"_ _

__"So, you think less of me just because I didn't have the same experience?" Peridot said, sounding rather indignant yet at the same time, seemed eager to analyse Jasper's behaviour toward her._ _

__"No, I mean-" Jasper sighed again, rubbing her hand over eyes, trying to find some way of resolving this quickly so she wouldn't have to keep talking about. "I had to fight for this place. And after all that fighting, you could waltz in and settle down with us like it was nothing. It just felt unfair to me, ok?"_ _

__Jasper gave another glance at Peridot who glowering back at her, clearly unsatisfied with that explanation._ _

__"But the more I think about it" Jasper continued, quickly trying to find a better sequence of words. "The more I realize that maybe you really were the lucky one for avoiding everything that happened here. You didn't have to be a part of any of it"_ _

__"I would have been a part of it if I had been here!" Peridot said in earnest. "I would have helped too"_ _

__"I know you would" Jasper said, surprising Peridot again, by touching her hand to her shoulder. Even more surprising was how gentle her touch felt. "For me, it was always about the fight. But for Rose, she wanted something beyond that. She wanted the Crystal Gems to live here on the Earth. Maybe that's why she was so happy when you joined us. You didn't have to fight, you just had to live. And maybe…"_ _

__Jasper trailed off, looking unwilling to finish. But she soon felt much more compelled when she noticed Peridot sitting on her knees, staring at her with wide, expecting eyes, practically demanding that she complete her statement._ _

__Jasper sighed and muttered into her shoulder, trying to sound as inaudible as she could_ _

__"Maybe that way, you're more of a Crystal Gem than any of us."_ _

__Peridot quickly pulled away Jasper, taking a moment to evaluate what she had just said._ _

__"You're right" she whispered, a great realization dawning on her. "I do live here!"_ _

__Peridot suddenly sprang back to her feet, feeling energized and exuberant like never before, spreading her arms out wide, allowing her voice to echo throughout the atrium._ _

__"I'm a Crystal Gem! Because I'm _living_ here!"_ _

__Despite herself, Jasper let out a small chuckle as Peridot continued to whoop and holler loudly around the room. Raising back to her feet, Jasper stood crossed armed in front of Peridot, giving her a smile that might almost suggest something along the lines of pride, while Peridot smiled back her with something along the lines of gratitude at finally receiving what she desired the most. Jasper's smile faded instantaneously, returning to her usual scowl._ _

__"I'm not hugging you" she said, point blank._ _

__"I didn't never ask you to" Peridot replied with a happy smile._ _

__"I will!" Not needing any invitation or permission, Steven soon rushed in and jumped right into Peridot with his arms spread wide as he embraced her, laughing joyously. Peridot returned the hug in the kind, while Jasper merely watched from afar._ _

__"Now let's all go live at our home!" Steven said. Without question, he grabbed a hold of Peridot's hand and the grabbed hold of Jasper's with his other hand_ _

__Jasper and Peridot shared a brief look, nether of sure how much they liked the situation, but at the same time, they wouldn't spoil Steven's cheerful mood. At his insistence, Peridot and Jasper each held on to one of Steven's hands for the entire journey back, as they exited from the ship and allowed him to lead the way as they trekked out through the jungle._ _

__Finally, the three of them returned to the tunnel and without looking back, they entered, heading back to the Warp Pad that would take them home, leaving the forgotten space port just as it had been for another five thousand years_ _

__Five seconds later, a red warp beam struck the ground in the center of the jungle, burning away the grass and plant life in the form of a perfect circle. Hovering in the center of the scorch mark was a black cube, appearing perfectly intact and uncompromising operational. The cube beeped three times in succession before it began to hover forward, moving silently in the direction of Peridot's abandoned ship, for some unseen purpose._ _


	10. Cube Catastrophe

"So, what is this called again?" Steven asked. It was yet another brilliantly sunny day in Beach City, as Steven was sitting down in the sand underneath the rafters of his home. Beside him was Connie, who had come over to visit for the day, and Steven had elected to show her a new development occurring at his house. A small colony of ants had sprung up just this morning, taking residence in the grassy patches along the edges of the sand, underneath the rafters of the Beach House. Steven wasn't really sure where they came from or why they appeared so suddenly. Not that Steven was bothered by their arrival of course, but he hoped Connie would help him better understand why these ants were here in the first place.

"It's called the Scientific Method." Connie replied, her eyes firmly set on the tiny ants in front of them, who continued to pace back and forth across the sand in synchronized order, oblivious to the two children watching them from above. "It's how scientist and researchers learn about the world to make new discoveries and solve the unexplained mysteries of the universe. And that's what we are going to do to figure why these ants are here"

"Should we be wearing lab coats for this?" Steven asked, curious, not feeling particularly scientific.

"Hmm, I think we can manage" Connie said, after a brief pause. She pulled out a pen and a small notebook out from her backpack, which had a list of five words scribbled on its first open page.

"The first step of the Scientific Method is, observation" Connie said, pointing to the topmost word on the list, circling it with her pen. "We start by observing what the problem is, in order to collect data. So, what can we see?"

Steven did as Connie asked, and turned his head to look down at the ants who were still scurrying about at their own leisure and pace between the grass. As he watched them, he noticed that they kept moving in and out of a particular patch of grass.

Curious, Steven picked up a nearby stick, carefully pushing away the blades of grass, revealing what appeared to be a brown piece of paper, dirty and torn, littered with crumbs. On the side of the bag, was a pink colored donut logo. The ants were clambering in and out bag, picking away at the leftover crumbs.

"Oh, hey, that's from the Big Donut" Steven said, recognizing the logo on the bag at once. Another realization soon hit him on the head. "Wait, I remember now. I was throwing out some leftover donuts last, but I dropped one of the bags by mistake and forgot to pick it up. So, I guess the ants must have followed the smell of-"

"No, no, no!" Connie said hastily. "Don't skip ahead. We can't draw a conclusion yet. We're not done with our observation".

Steven quickly held his tongue, allowing Connie to continue her observation of the ants, holding her chin with a serious expression. "So, from our observation, we can determine that a small group of ants have appeared outside your home. And there's also a discarded bag of stale donuts in the grass". Connie moved down to the second step on her list. "Next, we move on to Step 2 of the Scientific Method. Create a hypothesis"

"What's that?" Steven asked, unfamiliar with the term

"A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for the thing that you want to understand" Connie said. "So, in our case, let's say our hypothesis is that these ants appeared under your house because they were attracted to the sweet smell of the leftover donuts"

"Um, ok" Steven said, still not fully catching on just yet.

Connie pointed to the next step on the list. "Now it's time for the third step, prediction. Using our hypothesis as a jumping off point, we make a prediction on what we want to discover. So, considering our hypothesis from the previous step, what prediction do you think we can make?"

Steven thought about this carefully. "If the ants are here because they found some stale donuts," he said slowly. "Then maybe we can lure them somewhere else with a fresh donut?"

"That's great Steven" Connie said, smiling. "That brings us to the fourth step. Next up is experimentation, where we decide to test if our prediction will come true using a control situation. Now for this experiment to work will need some spare donuts, so, let's head into town and-"

"Oh, don't' worry, I have some here". Steven pulled out a small bag of donuts out from his signature, Cheeseburger backpack, just as Connie was in the middle of raising to her feet.

"You keep emergency donuts on your person?" Connie asked, unsure if she should be impressed or surprised by Steven's peculiar sense of resourcefulness.

Steven merely shrugged innocently. "I gotta have some in case me and the Crystal Gems go any surprise missions"

Deciding to be impressed, Connie happily accepted the bag of donuts from Steven. She opened the bag and pulled out a strawberry flavored donut, breaking off a small piece of it, no bigger than the tip of her finger. Together, she and Steven moved several feet up wind and placed the donut crumb in the grass. The two children then retreated back another few feet to the other side of the grass and watched carefully for the ants next move.

They didn't have to wait long, as a single ant made its way to the donut crumb that they had left and was then followed by a dozen more of its kind, all of them converging on the newest offering, slowly picking it piece by piece.

"Now, we have reached the final step of the Scientific Method" Connie said, as eager and enthusiastic as ever. "Results. The ants were immediately attracted to the scent of a fresh donut. With this information, we can now form our conclusion. It appears that ants, like humans, are slaves to the sugary power of the corporate trans fats!" she said, with an ominous note.

Steven let out a stunned gasp, his eyes going wide with shock. "My innocent mind was not prepared for these horrific truths!"

Connie let out a cheery laugh; she didn't know what kind of game was, but she definitely was enjoying it. "And that's the Scientific Method!" she said. "Isn't cool? It's a really useful way of applying logic to problems by breaking them down into simple steps. And once you learn it, you can apply to all kinds of situations"

"Hmm, ok, let me try" Steven said, wanting to confirm he understood the concept. Steven turned his attention back to the ants, watching them as they hungrily picked apart the donut crumbs.

"Ok, first observation" Steven said slowly. "The ants are eating up the donut crumbs and they look like they are enjoying it. That was a strawberry flavored donut. That's my favourite one, so I can vouch for how good it tastes"

Taking all these details into mind, Steven remembered the next step. "Hypothesis, the ants must really love the taste of strawberry as much as I do"

Steven turned back around to Connie, as if looking for reassurance that he wasn't making any mistake, but Connie simply smiled, giving him an encouraging thumbs up.

"Now, prediction" Steven said. "Uh…" He paused trying to think what might come to his mind, the pieces slowly forming together. "If the ants really like strawberry flavoured donuts, then that's the first one they'll pick if they have to choose"

Smiling, Steven opened his backpack again and pulled out two more donuts, one chocolate and one lemon glazed. Just as Connie did, he broke a tiny chunk off each one as well as another piece from the same strawberry donut. Steven then placed the three separates pieces of donuts in a row in the sand, making sure to set each one reasonable distance apart.

"Now, experimentation" Steven said. "I'll leave out some different flavored donuts and see which one the ants will pick."

Just as before, Steven and Connie waited patiently for the ants to make the first move, making no attempts to interference any more than necessary. Eventually, the group of moved toward the row of donuts crumbs Steven had set for them. The ants scurried ahead toward the strawberry donut just as they had done before. But this time, a small quadrant of the ants broke off from the main group and instead moved toward the lemon glazed donut crumble that was to right. Finally, a single, lone ant all the way in the back chose the chocolate flavored donut crumb that was to the left and began eating away at it in solitude.

"Results, they didn't all want the same kind of donut. Some of them wanted something a little different." Steven smiled, placing his fist on his hips in a display of confidence and pride. "And now our conclusion. Ants have all kinds of different donut preferences, which means I can't go around making assumption over what they might like"

"By Jove, I think you've got it!" Connie said

"We're totally scientists now!" Steven cheered, raising his fists up into the air.

"Next, we cure world hunger!" Connie said, joining in by throwing her own fist into the air.

Steven laughed, very as happy as he always did whenever Connie came over to visit them. Or really whenever he got to spend time with Connie in general. "That Scientific Method thing is really cool." Steven said. "And you explained it in such an easy and approachable way for me to understand using examples in that can be found in every day life. Learning sure is fun!"

"Yeah, I guess so" Connie muttered with a small shrug, with much less enthusiasm than Steven. As much as she enjoyed showing Steven new things, a part of Connie was hoping that maybe could have done something a little more exciting.

Then, suddenly, there was a loud booming noise coming from overhead, like the sound of cannon fire or the clap of thunder despite the weather being perfectly clam. The clouds parted in an instant as something came flying through them at an unbelievable speed, descending down onto the beach, stopping at dime just before it touched the sand. Steven and Connie briefly had to shield their eyes as strong gust of wind blew sand past them and scattering the helpless ants behind them into the air.

When the sand clear, Steven and Connie opened their eyes to see what had created the disturbance. A giant, black cube, much like the ones Steven had seen before, was floating just a few inches off the surface of the beach. The only difference being, was that unlike all the previous cubes, this one was massive, easily the size of Steven's father's van.

"What is that?" Connie exclaimed.

"It's one of the cube robot things" Steven said. "Only a lot bigger!"

On cue, Jasper leaped out from the front door of Steven's house and down onto the beach, landing between the cube and the two human children. Lapis and Peridot soon joined Jasper's side, facing the black cube, which made no attempt to respond to their presence or show any kind of hostility.

"Steven, get Connie back!" Jasper ordered. "Crystal Gems, attack!"

Steven had only just enough time to summon up his bubble, surrounding both him and Connie in a pink sphere of energy as the Crystal Gems charged into a full front assault against the black cube, each of them attacking in tandem with one another other.

Peridot fired her finger-cannon, blasting the black cube in the dead center of its red eye with a bolt of green energy, resulting in a visible crack.

Jasper then charged forward surrounding her body in a blazing orange energy, summoning her crash helmet and headbutting into the cube in the exact same spot where it had been cracked, completely shattering the outer layer of metal and creating a small hole that exposed the interior of the cube.

Finally, Lapis raised her arms in the air, summoning up a dozen watery tendrils from the surrounding ocean which poured into the cube through its exposed hole, filling and expanding it outward until finally, the cube blew apart from the inside out, creating a shower of water and broken metal that rained down upon the beach.

Once the last pieces of debris had finished falling, Steven lowered his bubble, hoping that it was now safe for Connie, who was laying on her side, looking shocked by what had just transpired.

"Are you ok?" Steven asked her, concerned.

"I love hanging out at your place" Connie whispered with barely restrained excitement. It probably wasn't an appropriate time, but Steven felt the colour raise in his cheeks at little from her praise.

"Are you two, alright?" Lapis asked, with some concern, offering a hand to Connie, helping her to feet again.

"We're fine" Steven assured. "Was that another one of those cube robots from before?"

"Yes, obviously it must have been sent here by Pearl and Amethyst" Peridot said. She kicked away at a piece of the debris with the tip of her foot when something shiny caught her eye. Bending down she picked up a piece of metal, the interior of it appeared to be lined with some kind crimson tinted glass.

"Hmm, curious" she said, examining the glass under the sunlight, unsure of what to make of it.

"Peridot, maybe you shouldn't be touching that?" Lapis warned. "It could be dangerous"

"Well of course it's dangerous" Peridot replied, completely unafraid, her eyes examining the piece of glass in her hand. "But when has that ever stopped us?"

"Pearl and Amethyst" Connie said quietly, turning to Steven. "Those are the two Gems you were telling me about before"

Steven nodded in confirmation, having told Connie all about their previous encounter with the Homeworld Gems. Steven then looked to Peridot. "What do you think it wanted?"

"It doesn't want anything now" Jasper said, walking up beside Peridot and unceremoniously plucking the piece of glass out of her hand, crushing it into in powder with one brief flex of her fist. "We destroyed it. End of story"

"Yeah, whatever it was, it was no match for the three of us" Lapis said confidently, standing next to Jasper and Peridot.

"That's right, because we are, the Crystal Gems!" Peridot yelled, spreading her legs, thrusting her right arm out in an overly dramatic pose. Steven and Connie stared at Peridot as she remained fixed in that position, while Jasper and Lapis had yet to move an inch. Peridot glanced briefly in their direction.

"Jasper, Lapis, strike a cool pose" she whispered from the corner of her mouth, her eyes darting back on to their young spectators. "You're making us look like idiots"

* * *

"Hi Connie, it's me again." Steven said, sitting alone on his couch in his living room, phone in hand.

"Greetings Scientist Steven" Connie replied, from the other end of the phone. "How goes your research?"

"Pretty good. I wanted to tell you about this new discovery I made. Remember back when that cube robot blew up and all the pieces fell from the sky"

"Yeah, that was awesome" Connie said, sounding very pleased to have an excuse to bring it up again.

"Well, I noticed that some pieces were a lot bigger than other pieces" Steven said. "But it looked like they fell to the ground at the same time. So that got me thinking? Does smaller stuff fall faster than bigger stuff? So, I tried out the Scientific Method you showed me, did some experiments and discovered that big objects fall just as fast as small objects. Isn't that cool?"

"Wow, Steven that amazing!" Connie said, sounding impressed. "You discovered that all by yourself. That really is cool"

"So, who do I contact about my discoveries?" Steven asked. "I mean, is there like a scientist hotline I can call or a website? I wanna get this out soon so other people will know"

"Oh" Connie said, quickly catching onto what Steven really meant, now beginning to feel little awkward. "Well, I am happy you were able to figure that out for yourself Steven, but that's not actually a new discovery. It was made a long time ago"

"Really?" Steven said with surprise, which quickly turned to mild disappointment. "Oh, well, that's ok. I made another discovery yesterday when I was doing the dishes. I noticed that the water kept rising up when I was putting things into the sink. So, I figured that the amount of water that raises up, must the same as the number of dishes I put into the sink. So, I started doing some experiments and-"

"Um, that's also been discovered already" Connie said, sadly.

"Seriously?" Steven said in disbelief. "Ok, how about this. I was throwing a ball at my wall and it kept bouncing back, and I noticed that the harder I threw it, the faster it bounced. So, then I thought maybe that-"

"Everything action as an equal and opposite reaction?" Connie finished dryly. "That's been discovered too. Sorry"

"Ah, come on! I spent like six hours on that one!" Steven moaned heavily. He slumped his back down against couch, feeling disheartened at his apparent lack of real progress. "How come all the good science has been done already?"

"Don't worry" Connie said encouragingly. "A big part of science is that there's always something new to discover. You just to need to find some question that no one else has an answer to yet. Think of something that's relevant, something no one has figured out yet"

"Hmm, something relevant" Steven said, rubbing his chin pensively. He held that pose for a full minute. Then another minute. Then about halfway through minute number three did it finally happen. A loud, thunderous boom echoed in the distance, shaking the interior of the house, although Steven barely even flinched at the disturbance as he already knew what it meant.

"Is that another one of those cube robots?" Connie asked, with both concern and interest.

"Yeah" Steven said, dully.

The Temple door opened with Jasper, Lapis and Peridot rushing out from it. Peridot's finger-screen was hovering in place of her left hand, showing a blinking red dot moving in a straight line toward a hemispherical shaped object, which was undoubtedly the planet Earth itself.

"It's entering the atmosphere" she said. "By my calculations it should land at the Desert, in approximately…now"

"Uh, what is wrong with these things?" Lapis groaned. "This is the fifth one this week"

"Sorry, Connie I gottta go, talk later!" Steven said in a hurry just as Connie was about ask another question. "Guys, wait for me!" Steven cried as Jasper, Lapis and Peridot had already stepped onto the Warp Pad, teleporting away to the Desert. The moment they were gone, Steven climbed onto the Warp Pad and closed his eyes, concentring as hard he could, picturing the Desert area in his mind's eye until the Warp Pad activated once again, transporting to his desired location.

At first, he saw no sign of the Crystal Gems anywhere in the vast sand dune filled landscape, but he soon zeroed in on their location when he heard the sounds of battle and explosions coming from off in the distance behind a land dune. Running across the desert sand, Steven found the Crystal Gems standing next to yet another demolished cube. Peridot and Lapis looked to be exhausted, both of them panting like crazy, while Jasper was standing further away, her eyes set firmly up in the sky as though checking if there was another attack imminent.

"This is getting ridiculous" Steven said running up to them, now beginning to feel truly tired of this new routine they had found themselves it. "How many more of these things are you guys gonna have to fight?"

"We don't know!" Peridot cried, throwing her arms in the air before falling back onto the sand in defeat. "We don't know what these are or what they want or how to stop from coming here. And I suspect the pressure is beginning to take its toll on us emotionally!"

"Well that's okay" Steven said consolingly, knowing where Peridot was coming from. "I don't know anything all the time, it's like my whole life. But I have you guys to tell me about tell me about Gem stuff, Connie can explain what kind of donuts ants like, and Dad tells me weird dad stuff."

"But there's no one on this planet who can tell us about these robots" Peridot said, despairingly. "I couldn't figure how they worked. And I have no idea as what they want. All the sites they been landing at so far appear to be completely random."

"We just don't know enough about we're facing here" Lapis said, hanging her head down.

Hearing these words, Steven felt a fire beginning to raise in his belly, remembering what Connie had told him earlier, realizing that this was his opportunity. He furrowed his brow and sucked in his gut, placing his fists squarely on his hips as he straightened up.

"Well, then maybe, it's time for Scientist Steven to figure things out!" he said, seriously.

Lapis and Peridot shared a brief look of confusion with one another, while Jasper had her back to the rest of the group, still keeping her eyes skyward.

"Who's that?" Lapis asked.

"Me, I meant me" Steven clarified. "Connie was telling about this thing call the Scientific Method. It's a list of easy to remember steps that help you figure out things that you don't know."

"Hmm. And how does this method work?" Peridot asked, trying her best to sound inconspicuously curious.

"Uh, ok" Steven said, now feeling a little nervous as the spotlight appeared to be fully on him now. He cleared his throat as he began to recall each step in his mind. He raised his index finger. "The first step is observation. So, what have we observed so far?"

Steven glanced around the desert, now littered with pieces of the destroyed alien machinery. "These big cube robots keep coming to Earth. And no matter how many times we break them, they just keep coming"

Steven counted his middle finger next as he remembered the second step. "Now, we make a hypothesis" he said. "The reason the cubes keep coming is that they are trying to do something, and they can't do it because we keep destroying them."

Steven raised a third finger, feeling much more confident. "Prediction. If we keep breaking them, we'll never find out what it is they are trying to do"

" I could have concluded all that with one touch stump" Peridot said, sounding unimpressed.

"So, you're saying that we shouldn't attack these cubes and let them do, whatever it is they are here to do?" Lapis said slowly.

"Yeah, that's the next step. Experimentation" Steven said with an eager smile. "And when that's over, we'll collect the results and after that we'll have a conclusion"

"We're not experimenting with anything" Jasper said curtly, finally turning around to face the rest of the group. She picked up a long shaft of metal out of the sand and snapped it in her hands for good measure, throwing the pieces away. "That's way too big a risk. If these things keep showing up, then we'll just keep taking them out, no matter how many times they come here. We don't need to know what they're here for. It's enough that we destroy them"

"Well, what if they just never stop coming?" Lapis asked, glaring at Jasper with disapproval. "Are we supposed to keep fighting them forever?"

Jasper crossed her arms and stared at Lapis for a long while, her expression blank. "I can live with that" she said, perfectly honest. Lapis groaned wearily, having half expected Jasper's answer.

"It won't be forever" Peridot said, sounding hopeless once again as she laid her head back against the sand. "It'll just be until they finally wear us down and we all die a painful death!"

"But maybe if we just try my idea, we could find out what they want and maybe that'll help us find out how to stop them" Steven said.

"I said no" Jasper said, with enough strength of authority that Steven knew he couldn't push the issue any further. But not enough for Lapis, however.

"Jasper, Steven just wants to help" she said, throwing Jasper another angry glare. "And he could be right. I don't want to have to keep fighting these things. We need a real plan"

"Fighting them is a real plan" Jasper said, refusing to look Lapis in the eye.

"No, it's not" Lapis replied, now beginning to sound impatient.

Jasper was about to follow up with another retort, when they were suddenly interrupted by a loud, familiar beeping noise, emanating from Peridot's left forearm. Without getting up, Peridot lazily raised her arm and activated her finger-screen, which once again showed blinking red dot moving a straight line.

"Oh great" Peridot said, with an unhappy, sarcastic drawl in her voice. "There's yet another one entering the atmosphere".

It was then that a second dot appeared on the screen a short distance behind the first one, which was enough of a surprise to force Peridot upright again.

"Wait, there's not one, but two entering the atmosphere" she said, looking terrified by this realization. "Oh my stars, there's two of them coming at the same time now! It's flawless strategy!"

"Where are they going to land?" Jasper asked, as she, Steven and Lapis gathered around Peridot.

Peridot got back to her feet and was examining her screen more closely, able to make perfect sense of the jumbled-up display. "Let's see. It looks like the first one is heading for the Space Port"

"You mean the place where your old ship is?" Steven said.

"Correct" Peridot said, her eyes now focusing on the second dot. "And the other one is heading for….the Prime Kindergarten".

"What's that?" Steven asked, never having been to that location before.

"We have to split up" Jasper said at once, ignoring Steven, already making her way back toward the Warp Pad. The others followed after her and watched as Jasper climbed onto surface of the Warp Pad, preparing warp away without them.

"I'll head to the Kindergarten" she said. She turned back to the others. "You three head to the Space Port. And remember, destroy whatever shows up. No messing around".

And flash of teal colored light, Jasper was gone. No sooner than she had left, Peridot, Lapis and Steven quickly gathered onto the Warp Pad and teleported up into the sky to their next destination.

* * *

After arriving at the Warp Pad situated high up in the mountains, Steven, Peridot and Lapis wasted no time in crossing over the hovering suspension bridge and entering into the abandoned tunnel, leading them into the exotic jungle landscape that once acted an intergalactic space port for Gem kind.

Lapis and Steven followed Peridot's lead as took off ahead of them, tracking the location of the cube on her finger-screen, moving through the jungle at such a fast and unrelenting pace, she might have forgotten about her teammates who were trailing behind her. Eventually, as they began to draw closer to the edge of the jungle, Peridot finally stopped, staring hard at the wall of leaves that was ahead of them, knowing exactly what was on the side of it, no matter how much she hoped she had been wrong. After a moment to catch his breath behind Peridot, Steven glanced around the jungle and soon realized how familiar this area appeared.

Pushing past the wall of leaves, Peridot, Lapis and Steven entered into a wide open glade, in the center of which lay the grounded, dilapidated and enormous sized hand-shaped vessel that was once Peridot own space ship, the very same ship that had brought her to this planet centuries ago.

And right next to the ship was their quarry; one of the same, giant-sized cubes, floating just a few feet off the ground, hovering at slow pace across the clearing in front of Peridot's ship. From its red eye, the cube was projecting a grid patterned beam of light onto the ground, like a giant spotlight that sweeping back and forth over the surface of the ground. It seemed to be ignoring the ship entirely.

"It hasn't spotted us yet" Peridot said, deactivating her finger-screen. She switched to her finger-screen and began charging up a blast. "Let's get this over with"

"No, wait a second" Lapis said, placing her hand on Peridot's shoulder, pulling her back behind the foliage along with Steven.

"What's the matter?" Peridot asked Lapis, confused as to why she was stopping them at such a crucial time. Instead of answer her, Lapis turned around to Steven.

"Steven, what do you think we should do?" she asked.

Steven stared up at Lapis in surprise, briefly at a loss for words, until he answered honestly. "I…think we should wait and see what the it's trying to do, before we destroy it"

Lapis smiled back at Steven, evidently satisfied with his answer. "Alright, then let's do it" she said, without any trace of worry or fear.

"But Jasper said-" Peridot began.

"Jasper's not here" Lapis said, holding up a dismissive hand to Peridot. Lapis then gave her a rather mischievous smirk. "And I say we try things out Steven's way".

"This could be dangerous" Peridot said, warningly.

Lapis let out a loud snort of laughter, almost as though she was scoffing at Peridot's comment. "When has that ever stopped us?"

Peridot blinked at Lapis, before smiling broadly, the thrill of the unknown now getting the best of her as well. Peridot turned to Steven and pointed her arm in the direction of her ship, beckoning him to proceed. "Lead the way Scientist Steven"

Smiling happily, Steven did as Peridot said and took the lead ahead of the two Gems, determined not to let them down now that they had given him this chance to prove himself. They stopped at the edge of the jungle, peering out behind the leaves, but being sure to remain out of sight from the cube.

"So, now we wait and see what it's gonna do" Steven said, staring at the strange cube with the utmost scrutiny, not wanting to miss even the slightest detail as it continued to scan the ground with its eye. "Who knows what it's really for? It could be anything"

There was a long pause as the three of them watched the cube hovered up and down the clearing without any new developments.

"What if it's a bomb?" Lapis asked, rather casually.

"That's one possibility, yes" Peridot replied back just as casual.

It was then that the cube stopped moving, as it finally appeared to find a section of ground that was to it's liking, shutting its scanning laser. From its red eye, the cube then fired a thin laser beam of red energy which cut deep into ground below it. The beam zigzagged back and forth, slowly burning away the layers of soil and rock, until it had carved out a perfectly square shaped hole in the ground, several feet deep. Shutting off its laser beam, the black cube positioned itself directly over the hole it had just created and slotted into it with a perfect fit, with only the very top of the cube sticking out by a few inches. The jungle soon went silent again, except for the occasional chirping some unknown species of bird in the background.

"That was it?" Peridot said, quite possible a little disappointed.

But that was not it. Moments later, there was a clap of thunder and a massive beam of crimson light fired down from the sky, striking the exposed top of the black cube. The beam disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared, with two familiar figures now standing on the surface of the cube.

"Oh yeah! We're back again!" Amethyst cheered, jumping into the air and performing a front flip, landing with an impressive dismount. Behind Amethyst, Pearl let out a weary groan, already growing exasperated with her partners overzealous antics, rolling her eyes as she calmly stepped off the surface of the cube.

"It's Amethyst and Pearl" Steven whispered in shock.

"How did they get here?" Lapis said in disbelief, almost as though she couldn't believe her eyes.

"So, that's what the larger cubes were for" Peridot said, finally understanding. "They're automated Warp Pads. They must have looking for a site with the appropriate conditions for Warp travel."

"Peridot, shh!" Steven said, putting his finger to his lips. "Let's try to hear what they're saying"

"Amethyst, please, you should be taking this seriously" Pearl said, sternly.

"Ah, lighten up Pearl. I'm totally on top of this mission." Amethyst said with a nonchalant wave of her hand. It was then that Amethyst final seemed to take note of the current surrounding environment, and based on her expression, it was clearly not what she had been expecting.

"Hey, wait a minute. I thought we were going to the Prime Kindergarten?" Amethyst asked; she sounded closer to disappointment than confusion.

Pearl sighed again. She reached up to the oval shaped gemstone on her forehead, which began to glow from the touch of her hand; a brilliant white light illuminated from the gemstone as a small rectangular object materialized from within the light and into Pearl's hand. Pearl pulled rectangular object apart between her hand, opening it out as a square shaped holographic tablet that resembled Peridot's finger screen. Pearl then pressed one of fingers onto the tablet. There was a sudden rustle on the other side and a smaller cube emerged from within the leaves, coming to halt right next to Pearl.

"We are" Pearl replied patiently to her partner. "But first, we have to investigate this abandoned vessel". Pearl gestured to the gigantic green hand that lay in front of them as though it might somehow have slipped past their notice.

"What's so important about this thing?" Amethyst said, looking relatively unimpressed with the giant hand. "It's just some old ship"

Behind him, Steven could faintly hear Peridot make an annoyed muttering noise under her breath.

"It's not the ship that's important" Pearl said. "What we must learn is about the Gems who were piloting it and where they are now"

"But there are no Gems on this planet" Amethyst said sounding as though she was suppressing an obnoxious 'duh' at the end of that sentence. "Everyone knows they were wiped out five thousand years ago. And the Red Eye didn't report anything back"

"That's true" Pearl said patiently. "But this specific model of ship was not developed until long after the Earth had been abandoned as a colony".

Amethyst stared back at Pearl with a bored expression, still not grasping the significance of what she was saying. Pearl groaned again. "Meaning that the Gems who were piloting this ship would have crashed here _after_ all other Gem life was wiped out from this planet"

"So, those Gems might still be around here somewhere?" Amethyst said slowly.

"Exactly".

"So, you think those Gems are the ones who messed with the Homeworld Warp and the Hexahedroids?" Amethyst asked.

"That is what we need to find out" Pearl said, sliding her finger across the holographic tablet in her hands. "According my scans, none of the Hexahedroids we left behind on our last visit are active any longer aside from this one." Pearl gestured to the cube still hovering right beside her. She flinched slightly as the cube brushed up closer to her face, beeping strangely, until she quickly shooed it away.

"Not to mention someone or something has been destroying the Hexahetrons we have been sending here" Pearl continued. She now gestured to the giant cube that was still nestled in the ground. "Luckily this one managed to warp us here successfully. Once we are done, we can then warp to the second Hexahetron that should have arrived at the Prime Kindergarten"

It was those final two words that acted as some kind of trigger, as the moment Amethyst heard them, she became alert and energic once again.

"Well let's hurry up already!" she said, breaking into a sudden sprint, running past Pearl so fast that she briefly caused her to spin on the spot, before Pearl corrected herself, glaring at her partner with an annoyed expression.

"Amethyst, wait for me!"

Pearl followed Amethyst who already standing patient in front of the ship. The Hexahedroid also followed, staying particularly close to Pearl, though she appeared not to notice. Pearl placed her hand on the green surface of the ship, which rippled at her touch and rescinded away to form a hole shaped entrance, large enough for Pearl, Amethyst and the Hexahedroid to enter through. Once the two Homeworld Gems entered into the ship, Steven, Lapis and Peridot stepped out from their hiding spot and into the now vacant glade.

"So, they're here looking for more Gems" Lapis said, her eyes fixed on the entrance Pearl and Amethyst had just gone through. "As long as they don't see us, we should be ok"

Peridot made a very loud noise with her throat as though she had just tried to shallow something very painful down her throat.

"What's wrong Peridot?" Steven asked, already getting a bad feeling about where this was going.

"I have all my log files backed up in my ships database for safe keeping" she answered, her facing paling with dread. "If they find those files, they'll learn all about me, how I crashed here, how I became a Crystal Gem and where the Temple is. It'll be total invasion of my privacy!"

"We have to stop them" Lapis said sharply, now looking very serious and ready for action.

"But we can't confront them directly" Peridot added quickly. "We need to think of plan to discreetly approach them and sabotage their mission without making them aware of our presence"

"Maybe, we should just talk to them?" Steven suggested. "They don't seem that bad"

"Steven, we have no idea what they want, why they are here or what they are capable of" Peridot said. "This is not the time for asking questions"

"Kinda sounds like it is" Steven muttered under his breath.

"Alright, this is my plan" Peridot said, ignoring Steven and activating her finger-screen. "There is an exposed exhaust port located here on the far side of the ship. First, we circle around and then double back around in case they saw us. After that we enter through the exhaust port in order of rank, naturally meaning I go first…"

Lapis listened intently as Peridot prattled on about her overly elaborate plan, while Steven turned his attention back to the open hole where Pearl and Amethyst had gone through. He had to figure out what those two were doing. He couldn't see how there were ever be a better chance than this. Maybe he was being a little overconfident, but this entire situation had spawned from his own idea to try and learn more about these mysterious Gems who kept coming back to Earth. Deep down, part of him was just feeling genuinely curious. He had to see through all the way to the end no matter what. He had to know why they were really here.

"And that is my plan" Peridot finished. "Any questions?"

"No" Lapis replied, having followed just about every word Peridot had said and not wanting to give her an excuse to start over again.

"Good, because I have one" Peridot said, calmly. Her face suddenly dropped into a horrible frown as she grabbed fistfuls of her own hair with her metal digits. "Where's Steven?!"

Lapis turned around on the spot and realized to her horror that Steven was nowhere in sight. She then glanced to the exposed hole leading into the ship, knowing that there was only place Steven could have gone.

"Oh, no"

Now alone, Steven walked down the hexagonal shaped hallway, keeping his eyes open for any sign of either Pearl or Amethyst. The ship seemed much darker compare to his last visit, with barely any source of light. As Steven rounded a corner, he heard voices coming ahead from an open doorway at the end of the hallway. Once Steven was close enough, he could make out what they were saying.

"…check this command terminal for any information on what happened to this ship"

"Great, you do that and I'll, uh, check this room. For clues"

Moving as quietly as he could toward the door, Steven peeked his head around the doorway and looked into circular chamber, where he saw Pearl, standing in front of a pedestal in the shape of a hand, rising up out of the floor. There was no sign of Amethyst in the room, meaning Pearl was alone aside from the Hexahedroid that floating next to her. Occasionally, the little cube would start to move closing to her, as though it was trying to get her attention, but Pearl merely pushed it away every time it drew nearer.

Appearing to get a little annoyed by the cube's odd behavior, Pearl tapped an icon her holographic tablet. The Hexahedroid ceased its erratic prodding and hovered toward the pedestal, lowering itself onto the hand shaped palm. The cube's red eye glowed bright red as thin, crimson veins extended out from the base of the cube and down along the length of the pedestal, into the floor, like some kind of technological vampire draining the life away from the ship. A holographic screen, diamond shaped screen projected from the eye of the cube in front of Pearl, showing rows of strange symbols flying back and forth in symmetrical lines.

Not waiting for any kind of invitation, Steven entered into the room and walked right up beside Pearl who failed to even notice him, too busy observing the screen of data being produced by the Hexahedroid, clearly able to understand it far better than Steven ever could.

"Hmm. It appears the Hexahedroid is having some trouble interfering with this old Gem tech" Pearl said, rubbing her chin pensively. "Amethyst, did you find any- AH!" Pearl might have jumped back at least five feet when she turned and realized that the short statured figure standing next to her was not actually Amethyst.

"Hi there" Steven said with a smile, waving at Pearl pleasantly.

Pearl slowly lowered her hands and placed her raised foot back down to the floor. "Hello?" she replied cautiously, eyeing Steven warily, as if expecting him to bite her at any moment. There was a brief moment of silence as Steven waited for Pearl to respond. When she didn't, he spoke again.

"I'm Steven" he said, still as cordial as ever.

"A… Steven? I see". Pearl coughed loudly and shifted her eyes up towards the ceiling. After a few moments, she glanced back Steven again, clearly hoping he might have been gone by the time she had turned around, yet he remained exactly where he was.

"Um, shoo?" Pearl said, waving her hands at Steven in a feeble gesture. Realizing that this wasn't working, Pearl quickly picked up a small metal stick off the floor and tossed it across the room. Steven stared at the piece of metal on the other end of the room, then back to Pearl, not entirely sure what that was supposed to accomplish.

"Um, Amethyst?" Pearl called out, now starting to sound desperate. "I need a little help here. Amethyst!"

No sooner than Pearl had called her name, Amethyst appeared again, walking into the chamber from another doorway, carrying a large moss-covered rock under her arm, for reasons likely only she would know.

"Hey, Pearl check this out" she said, holding up the rock as if wanting Pearl to apprise it herself. "I found this awesome looking rock with all this green stuff growing around. Not bad, huh? What you find?"

Pearl cleared her throat very loudly and began to make discreet yet frantic signals around her back toward Steven, despite the fact he could still see her perfectly well. Amethyst titled her head around Pearl's body and spotted Steven for the first time standing behind her. But unlike Pearl, Amethyst did not respond to his presence with fear. Instead, she set her rock down on the floor and ran up closer to Steven, looking excited.

"Whoa, what's that thing?" she said, placing her hands on her knees as she leaned forward to get a closer look at Steven.

"It's called a Steven" Pearl whispered urgently. She glanced cautiously around the room, looking very squeamish. "I think this ship may be infested with Stevens"

"Huh, Stevens look a lot like humans" Amethyst said, after glancing over all his features.

"Well, I am a human" Steven replied. "Half one anyway"

"And are there any more humans in this area?" Pearl asked quickly, being sure to remain Amethyst the whole time.

Steven thought about this is for a second, deciding how best to answer. "Not around here, no" he said honesty, thinking it would be likely for any humans to be living in this remote location. "But there's lots human back where I live. My Dad, Connie, Lars and Sadie, the mailman. Onion, I think?"

"I see" Pearl said, her voice raising in pitch as sweat was forming on her forehead. She coughed again and then smiled at Steven, still just as nervous, yet was obviously trying her best to remain civil as she spoke. "I don't suppose you could, um, leave by any chance?"

"Relax, Pearl" Amethyst said, holding her hand up in the hand. "I know how to handle humans." Amethyst stepped forward, standing directly in front of Steven, almost at perfect eye level. Amethyst cleared her throat, clapping her hands together and when she spoke again, it was with an overly sweet, almost condescending sounding voice. "Would you like to go outside and smell the flowers?"

"Uh, not really" Steven replied, feeling confused yet again. "Actually, I was hoping to ask you some questions"

Amethyst turned and shared a brief look with Pearl, who appeared quite taken back by this statement.

"You have questions for us?" Pearl said, as though that was the very last thing she had been expecting Steven to say.

"Yeah" Steven replied in earnest, hoping to finally get some information. "I wanted to ask about what you guys are doing here"

"We're…not allowed to talk about that" Pearl said, straighten herself, folding her hands down at her lap, now appearing regal and detached. "It's not important for you to know"

"Really?" Steven replied, unconvinced. "Becasue it looks like it's really important"

"We're here looking for the Gems who flew in this old spaceship" Amethyst said casual, not even pausing to register the indignant look of shock Pearl was giving her. "After that, we're going to the Prime Kindergarten"

"What's a Prime Kindergarten?" Steven asked.

"Oh man, you never been to one before?" Amethyst said excitedly, now looking exactly like a child describing their favourite family vacation. "It's like the most awesome place you can ever imagine. I was made there"

"You were?" Steven said, feeling more and more curious ready to prod further

"Amethyst, please!" Pearl snapped at once. "You've said too much already"

"I'm just making conversation" Amethyst said, unconcerned, shrugging off Pearl's outburst. Now looking increasingly flustered, Pearl placed her hand on Amethyst shoulder and pulled her a short distance away from Steven, despite her protest.

"Aw, come on, Pearl, I was only-"

"Amethyst, listen to me!" Pearl snapped, with a sudden burst of authority, enough to make Amethyst finally stop and listen to her. "It's not a good idea to interact with the inhabitants of this planet". Pearl closed her eyes, her features softening as her voice dropped lower. "Trust me, nothing good ever comes of it. Would you please just remove the Steven so I can finish my work and we can leave?"

Amethyst grunted and crossing her arms grumpily, unwilling to comply. But after taking one look at the pleading expression on Pearl's face, it was soon obvious to Amethyst how uncomfortable Pearl was really feeling. Sighing, Amethyst gave in, albeit with some reluctance. "Alright, Pearl"

Now looking very dismissal about the situation, Amethyst walked back over to Steven and without pausing to ask his permission, she picked him up by the waist and hoisted him over her head with complete ease. "Let's go, short stuff.

"Hey, I'm almost as tall as you" Steven replied a little indigent but offering no other form of struggle as Amethyst began to carry him toward the door.

"Believe me, that's not a big accomplishment" Amethyst muttered under her breath, with a dry, almost cynical tone of voice.

"Get away from him!"

Amethyst stopped in her tracks, while still holding onto to Steven, and along with Pearl, she turned in surprise to the doorway that Steven original came through, as Peridot and Lapis quite literally jumped right through it, landing side by side in the center of the room.

"Put him down, you overcooked clod!" Peridot snapped, pointing a metal finger directly at Amethyst

"Peridot! Lapis!" Steven exclaimed, having practically forgotten all about them up until now. He wasn't sure how they would react to finding him in a situation like this.

Pearl glanced back and forth between Peridot and Lapis at least half a dozen times, completely shocked by their unexpected arrival.

"Gems?!" she said in total disbelief. "There really are Gems still on this planet. But why didn't the Red Eye report back?"

"Because we destroyed it!" Lapis cried.

"That was you?" Amethyst said, surprised, still holding Steven above her head.

Pearl let out a long, sustained gasp. "You're the ones who destroyed the Hexahedroids!" she said, pointing an accusing finger at Peridot and Lapis.

"Technically, that it was me" Peridot said, pointedly.

"You're the ones who destroyed the Homeworld Warp!"

"That was me!" Lapis added with a fierce expression, japing her thumb into her chest.

"And you're the ones who put this strange icon on the Homeworld Warp!". Pearl opened her holographic tablet and flipped it around to show a digital image of the cartoon waffle sticker that Pearl and Amethyst had taken with them on their last venture to Earth.

"That ones on me" Steven said, somewhat guiltily. He briefly considered whether he should ask Amethyst to place him back on the floor again.

"How come you guys keep messing with all our stuff?" Amethyst demanded, angrily. "Don't you realize how much trouble we could get into?"

Instead of answering Peridot and Lapis, turned to face each other; Peridot was looking at Lapis with a hopeful expression, her eyes glistening with anticipation as though trying to ask for something with the use of words. Lapis smiled and winked back Peridot in confirmation, knowing exactly what she wanted to do. Moving together in sequence, Lapis performed a single twirl, unfurling her water-wings and raised her arms in an fighter's stance, while Peridot squatted her legs out wide, rotating her arms in the air, bending her elbows and pointing the tip of her metal fingers right at her gemstone.

Pearl stared at the two Gems with a quizzical expression as they both held their own distinctive pose, while Amethyst puffed out her lips as she struggled to keep herself from bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Who _are_ you guys?" she chortled incredulously.

"We are the Crystal Gems" Lapis declared, her voice brimming with unrelenting courage and strength. "We're still alive and we're still the guardians of this planet and all its living creatures!"

"Yeah!" Peridot added, lifting her left foot into the air and pointing her arms upwards in a V-shape pose.

Pearl no longer appeared confused; her eye widened, her pupils dilating, and her face dropped, looking absolutely gaunt. If she had blood, it likely would have been drained from her face. Amethyst, on the other hand, simply appeared dumbstruck, as though her mind was still trying to process what she had just heard.

"The Crystal Gems are still alive?" Pearl whispered, briefly placing the of her hand over her mouth, covering some a small spasm. "This….this is impossible"

Amethyst finally seemed return to her sense, as her body became to tremble and her face breaking into the biggest grin anyone had ever seen as her eyes locked onto Peridot and Lapis. Somehow or other, a lifelong dream had just been realized.

"This is…..PERFECT!" she screamed, joyously. Without warning, Amethyst tossed Steven at Pearl who instinctively caught him in her arms and moved forward to the center of the room, standing less than ten feet away from Peridot and Lapis, who both readied themselves, obviously expecting an attack from the small Gem. From her gemstone, Amethyst summoned forth the handle of her whip, pulling the full the length of it out and cracking it against the floor in one smooth motion.

"Amethyst, wha-wha-whaat are you doing?!" Pearl spluttered, unable to decide whether or not to simply drop Steven. "You can't fight them. This wasn't part of our mission"

"Are you kidding?" Amethyst said with a devilish smirk, her eyes set on the two targets in front of her, as though nothing else mattered. "Fighting them is exactly what I was made for!"

With a loud grunt, Amethyst swung her whip across the room as hard she could. The whip moved at an impossible speed, cutting like a sword through the air like a long narrow sword. Peridot just barely was able to duck down to the floor in time, letting the whip pass overhead while Lapis flew upwards to the ceiling. Now airborne, Lapis performed a nosedive maneuver heading straight for Amethyst.

Amethyst quickly pulled her arm back and twisted her wrist, altering the angle of the whip as it now flew upwards at the oncoming Lapis, this time partially grazing her arm with the edge of the whip's thong, forcing Lapis to veer off course as she attempted to dodge it. Lapis was now put on the defensive as she ducked and weaved through the air, dodging Amethyst's whip as she attacked relentlessly, not letting up for even a second.

At the other side of the room, Pearl finally snapped back to reality, unceremoniously dropping Steven to the floor and running back toward the Hexahedroid which was still connected to the pedestal, clearly wanting to retrieve it before anything else happened. And something else did happen. A bolt of green energy stuck the pedestal, blowing it to pieces, seconds before Pearl could reach it, the Hexahedroid bouncing off to the floor with a hair line fracture down its side. Pearl wheeled around in shock to see Peridot, standing with her finger-cannon pointed at where the pedestal was, before aiming her cannon directly at Pearl, ready to fire again.

But before Peridot could fire the full length of a jewel encrusted whip suddenly wrapped itself around her body as tight as snake, binding her arms to her sides. From the other end of the whip, Amethyst smirked with confidence now that she had Peridot in her grasp. Glancing up at the sill airborne Lapis, Amethyst tucked her head down between her legs and began to spin her entire body, her long, spiky white hair becoming like a buzz saw which torn into the floor. Before Peridot could try free herself, she was pulled off her feet and dragged toward the spinning ball as the whip was being curled up inside of it.

Lapis had no idea what Amethyst was trying to do, but fearing for her fellow Crystal Gem, she charged in, flying headfirst toward Amethyst as she continued to spin in the spot, determine to stop her before she could attack again. But this was a mistake, for at the very last second, just as Lapis and Peridot both came flying at Amethyst from opposite directions, the whip surrounding Peridot snapped free at the perfect moment to launch her straight into Lapis, the full force of the built of momentum sending the two of them crashing to the other side of the room.

Back on his feet again, Steven now felt the same sense of uncertainty and confusion as before when Garnet appeared. Everything had just broken out into one big massive battle for seemingly no reason that Steven could see. More than anything, Steven wished he could scream everyone to just stop and tell him what the heck was going on, but right now he settled with making sure Lapis and Peridot weren't going to get hurt.

Peridot and Lapis were half through the process of detaching from one another, when Amethyst leapt into the air and swung her whip again, striking it across the ceiling above where Peridot and Lapis had landed. Before either of them had time to the move or respond, the section of ceiling caved in right on top of them, burying them both under a mountain of broken metal plates and electrical wiring.

"Peridot! Lapis!" Steven cried, running over to them at once. Pushing through some of the ceiling debris, he soon found them again. Peridot tangled up a long green colored tube with metal wiring at the end of it, kicking her legs furiously as she tried to pull herself free, while Lapis laying trapped underneath a large piece of metal, unable to get up. Making a spilt decision Steven went to Peridot first and hurriedly began to pull the tubing off her body.

"Ah, yeah!" Amethyst cried from the other end of the room, not wasting the opportunity to fully enjoy her moment of victory, looking as though she was having the literal best of day of her life. "This is too easy. I should have popped out of the ground sooner. I'd have taken care of the Crystal Gems all by myself!"

Steven had only managed to free Peridot from the tangled mess of tubing and was about to move to help the still trapped Lapis, when Amethyst came charging at them once more, her whip brandished in her hand.

There a sudden, loud explosion from somewhere above, and the ceiling in the middle of the room caved in as something big came crashing through it, landing directly in front of Amethyst who quickly skidded to a halt, just inches away from the point of impact. Once the dust had cleared, Amethyst took a step back, her jaw now hanging wide open as she craned her neck up, taking in the full, towering figure of Jasper, standing at least three times her own height, easily dwarfing her.

"You were saying?" Jasper snarled, eyeing the smaller Gem with an unimpressed scowl.

Amethyst stood still, frozen in place as she continued to gap upwards at Jasper, until she finally recovered, finding her fighting spirit once more. "I was saying, that I was about to show you Crystal Chums what a real Quartz solider is made of!"

Amethyst swung her whip hard at Jasper, aiming directly for her head. Without so much as flinching, Jasper caught the whip in her hand, stopping dead in the air before it could even touch her. Amethyst had only enough time to register a brief look of shock before Jasper tugged hard on the whip, lifting Amethyst off her feet and pulling directly toward Jasper. In a flash of light, Jasper summoned her crash helmet onto her brow and delivered a solid headbutt into the oncoming Amethyst, sending her flying back across the room and into the wall, which partially collapsed on top of her.

By now, Steven and Peridot had pulled Lapis free from the underneath the metal shaft. The three of them rushed over to Jasper's side, standing by for any order she might give them.

"Why did Homeworld send you here?" Jasper yelled, advancing across the room toward Amethyst. "What are you after now?!"

Amethyst pushed herself out from the debris and looked to be no mood for talking as she glared back at Jasper with a kind of viciousness that only natural born enemies could comprehend. Amethyst tighten her grip on her whip, preparing to take a run at Jasper, more than ready for another bout, but she only made it a few feet when Pearl appeared and literally scooped Amethyst up into her arms.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Amethyst cried outrage as she tried to pry herself free from Pearl's grasp. "I'm not finished yet!"

"We need to retreat!" Pearl said, struggling to keep hold of Amethyst as tried to break free from her grasp, much like a parent with an overly aggressive child. Pearl fumbled with her holographic tablet, trying to input another command. The Hexahedroid that Peridot had shot at earlier, rose up from the floor and zoomed across the room, stopping next to Pearl, much to her surprise. The Hexahedroid beeped twice and then enveloped both Pearl and Amethyst in a beam of crimson light, shooting up to the ceiling and out of the room.

For a brief moment, the Crystal Gems believed that maybe Pearl and Amethys had left the planet itself, but then they heard the familiar sounding booming noise coming from outside, which they knew accompanied the black cubes whenever they performed warp travel. The Crystal Gems rushed out of the room they were in and hurried as fast as they could back to the entrance of the ship.

Once they were outside again, they soon spotted Pearl standing with one foot on the top of the giant black cube still embedded into the ground, the Hexahetron, wrestling with an irate Amethyst, who was determined to stay and fight. The tiny Hexahedroid was still hovering nearby, watching the two of them struggle impassively.

"Let me go, I can still do this!" Amethyst snapped, angrily

"Please, we need to report this back" Pearl said, pulling Amethyst as hard she could, trying desperately to bring her onto the surface of the Hexahetron alongside her so that could escape, but Amethyst absolute refused to go. As if knowing that Pearl needed help, the Hexahedroid suddenly plowed itself right into Amethyst, pushing both her and Pearl flat onto the surface of the cube.

Understanding enough of the situation to know what was going to happen next, Jasper instantly broke into a run and leapt into the air to quickly cross the distance of the clearing, but it was too late. Moments before Jasper made contact, the Hexahetron fired its signature red colored warp beam up into the sky, sending Pearl, Amethyst and the small Hexahedroid back among the stars to wherever they came from, narrowly avoiding Jasper as she crashed landed onto the surface of the cube with an explosive headbutt.

Seeing that they Pearl and Amethyst were now gone, Jasper released a cry of pure rage, and began to furiously pound her fists into the black cube, smashing it to pieces, either to make sure it was completely destroyed or to vent her frustration at the fact their opponents had successfully escaped.

Once she was done, Jasper straightened herself again, allowing her helmet to disappear. Steven, Lapis and Peridot slowly approached Jasper with some apprehension, unsure just how angry she might still be.

"Are you three alright?" Jasper asked, without turning around.

"Oh, yeah we're fine" Steven said, though still sounding a little shaken. "We just-"

"I told you not to mess around with these things." Jasper said, her voice turning ice cold as she turned her head around, glaring at all three of them, though her gaze eventually settled directly on Steven, knowing from experience that he was most likely the cause of all this trouble. Steven gulped nervously, feeling very cowed under Jasper's eye, unsure of how best to explain his actions, none of which made him look particularly good at the moment.

"Don't be mad at Steven" Lapis said protectively, positioning herself directly between Steven and Jasper, meeting the latter's eye without any fear. "He was just trying to learn about what Pearl and Amethyst were doing here"

"So, what were they doing?" Jasper growled, crossing her arms, waiting for an answer.

Lapis grimaced awkwardly as she tried to think of a way of answering that question without arousing Jasper's anger further. "They were trying to figure if there were other Gems still on this planet" she mumbled finally, avoiding Jasper's eye.

"Which they now know for certain because we revealed ourselves" Peridot added, matter-of-factly, obviously more concerned with being accurate than anything else.

Jasper took a deep breath and exhaled, suppressing a brief trembling in her shoulders, likely doing everything in her power to remain calm. She then immediately turned around and punched the already destroyed Hexahetron three more times in a row, hopefully venting out at least some of her rage.

"I'm sorry, Jasper" Steven said, hanging his head in guilt. "I wanted to know what Pearl and Amethyst were doing, so I ran off and tried to talk to them, and then Peridot and Lapis had to come and save me. It's all my fault."

Jasper stared down at Steven, listening to his explanation with a blank expression over her face. Steven closed his eyes and briefly flinched as Jasper approached him but eased up when he felt her gently place her massive hand on the top of his head.

"What's done is done" Jasper said softly, lifting Steven's head up to face her as she gave him sterner look. "And you won't be doing it again. Got it?

"Yes" Steven answered, deciding that he was probably getting off lucky this time.

"Now what?" Lapis asked, uncertain.

"Now, it's their move" Jasper said grimly, staring up at the sky. "They know we're here now"

"Well when you think about, they my know were here, but we also know that they know we are here. So that kinda balances it out a little, right?" Peridot said with an optimistic smile. No one else said nothing in response, but Peridot was certain this situation wasn't as bad as it appeared.

* * *

Thousands of light years away from Earth, on a faraway planet devoid of any and all natural life, Pearl and Amethyst were standing side by side in the middle of a darken, octagonal room, with dozens of Hexahedroids flying back and forth through the air above their heads. The Hexahedroid which had followed the two of from them Earth, now sporting a signature crack on its right side, was floating closer to the floor, staying next to Pearl the entire time.

But Pearl gave the floating the cube no notice, as both she and Amethyst had their eyes were firmly set a large, square shaped throne that sat in the middle of the room. Several computer screens hovering in front of the throne, showing images that ranged from planets, structures, plans and other schematics of unknown design and purpose. And sitting in the throne, was a Gem of unknown class and cut, cloaked in shadows, no part of their body visible expect for the silhouette of a hand, rhythmically tapping its fingers away on the armrest of the throne.

"Now, tell me what happened" the Gem said, speaking softly, yet their voice carried such a sense of strength and power that it hardly made any difference.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Amethyst straightened herself and stepped forward, doing her absolute best to look as unintimidated as possible. "Well, so we got the planet and there was the busted up Gem ship like you said and we-"

"Tell me what happened, _Pearl_ " the Gem said, cutting over Amethyst coldly, with the slightest note of impatience.

Amethyst fell silent at once, looking hurt by the abrupt dismissal. Pearl could only offer her a brief look of sympathy as she stepped forward to face the throne and the unknown Gem sitting behind it.

"We arrived at the abandoned ship as you ordered" Pearl said, with a far greater sense of composure and etiquette than what Amethyst had displayed. "We had only just begun our investigation when we were interrupted by the appearance of a number of Gems."

"So, my hypothesis was correct" the unknown Gem replied. "There are still Gems alive on the planet Earth"

"They're not just any Gems" Amethyst said loudly, running but next to Pearl, who immediately tried in vain to signal her to be quiet. "They're the Crystal Gems! They're still alive!"

The unknown Gem ceased its rapping, its index finger paused in the mid-air. Amethyst quickly froze up, sweet beginning to roll down her forehead, as she began to wish more than anything that she had not spoken. Beside her, Pearl looked as though she was trying her best to refrain from smacking herself in the forehead.

"The Crystal Gems?" the unknown Gem replied, quite calmly.

Pearl cleared her throat and quickly spoke again, trying to defuse the situation as best she could "Yes, they claimed that they were, but really there's no way we could be certain of it"

"Describe them" the unknown Gem said, making a brief gesture with their hand, as if beckoning Pearl to proceed.

"Yes, well there was an Era 2 Peridot with limb enhancers" Pearl said. Although it was not given any command, the small Hexahedroid floated up next Pearl and from its red eye, projected a translucent red screen in the air, showing a captured image of Peridot standing with her finger-cannon.

"…And an Era 1 Lapis Lazuli" Pearl continued, after a protracted pause. The Hexahedroid now showed a different of Lapis, flying in the air. "And what appeared to be a Jasper of exceptional quality". The screen changed to show Jasper, standing broad shouldered and intimidating as ever. Amethyst glared at the image of Jasper with a look of pure hatred.

"And you fought these Gems?" the unknown Gem asked, patient and methodical, as if wanting to know every possible detail.

"No, Amethyst fought them" Pearl said, a little pointedly.

"Yeah and I had them on the run!" Amethyst said with complete self-confidence, throwing Pearl an angry look. "Until that Jasper showed up, but I was about to beat her back into the ground when Pearl made us run away like a couple of cowards"

"A tactical retreat was the far more sensible thing to do" Pearl countered, slightly patronizing, while meeting Amethyst eye with a challenging look.

"Hey, it was my mission and-"

" _Your_ mission Amethyst" the unknown Gem said coldly, with an unmistakable note of anger in their voice, silencing the two bickering Gems at once. "Was to protect my Pearl while she recovered the necessary data from the vessel, as I had ordered. Her safety should have been your first priority. Not engaging in an unnecessary and avoidable battle. In the future, I expect you not to act so recklessly. Am I understood?"

"Yes" Amethyst said, very respectful, but no less cowed.

"Now, you say these Crystal Gems are the ones who destroyed my Hexahedroids?" the unknown Gem continued, clearly wanting to get back to the original subject. "And they are the ones who have been destroying my Hexahetrons?"

"They admitted to doing this, yes" Pearl said, calm and steady.

"And I take it that due the interference of these Crystal Gems, you were unable to acquire any useful data from the crashed ship?"

"This Hexahedroid that was with us did manage to briefly interface with one of the ship's command terminals" Pearl said, gesturing to the little cube floating next to her, which emitted a cheery sound beep at having been mentioned. "But it's clearly been severely damaged. I doubt it retrieve any important data" Pearl added with a nervous looking smile.

"Perhaps" the unknown Gem replied, not sounding fully convinced. "But I will personally examine it myself. If any information was recovered, I will soon know"

The Hexahedroid now let a tiny beeping noise that sounded akin to a whimper, as it hovered behind Pearl, as though seeking her protection. Pearl briefly gave the cube a quizzical look from over her shoulder, but soon returned her attention back to the throne. There was a long silence as the unknown Gem resumed tapping their fingers. Amethyst and Pearl waited patiently, neither of them willing to prob for anymore questions, either out of sense of respect or fear. Finally, the unknown Gem spoke again.

"And at any point during this encounter, did either one of you see Rose Quartz?"

Regardless of what the temperature the room was, it just turned to absolute zero. Amethyst gulped nervously, sweat now forming her brow, looking positively petrified, while Pearl stood stock still, not so much as blinking as she stared straight ahead.

"No, we did not" Pearl said, her voice flat and emotionless.

The unseen Gem said nothing, and the room returned to silence once more. They shifted position in their throne as they leaned forward, likely appearing to be deep in thought. The unknown Gem then pressed a button on the armrest of the throne and the screens hovering in front of them disappeared, leaving only a single, massive screen showing an image of the Earth.

There was a rustling noise as the unknown Gem rose up from their throne, a long black cloak sweeping over their shoulders they approached the blue orb floating before them, standing so close the light cast shadows deep enough to obscure their features. Neither Pearl nor Amethyst knew what kind of expression the unknown Gem was wearing, only that they were staring intently at the image of Earth the entire time before finally speaking again.

"Pearl, have my ship made ready. Amethyst, go and retrieve our two guests. They may be of some use to us when we arrive"

"Arrive…where?" Pearl asked hesitantly, despite knowing full while what the answer would be.

"Earth" the unknown Gem replied; there was something odd in their voice as they said that word. It didn't exactly sound like desire or even excitement. It was more like a sense of absolute purpose and acceptance. They reached their hand out toward the screen and placing their open palm on the center of the Earth. Whoever this Gem was, one thing was for certain; they knew they were ready for what lay ahead.

"We are going to the planet Earth. Where it all began. The time has finally come."


	11. When I'm Gone

"I know this is probably a bit late to be asking, but are you sure about this Rose?" Greg asked.

"More sure than I have ever been about anything in my whole, entire life" Rose replied.

Together, Greg and Rose were sitting side by side in the open back of Greg's, which was parked near the edge of a tall cliffside. From this vantage point, they could see the outline of Beach City, the clear, blue ocean and the fields of the natural landscape, the beauty of all it magnified perfectly by the starry night sky. Places like these were always good for moments of reflection and reflecting was exactly what Rose and Greg were doing.

Even now, Greg himself could hardly believe what had transpired over the past few weeks and what was about to transpire in the coming months. He knew that he loved Rose more than anything, even though it felt like it had taken them an entirely to reach this point in their relationship; initially it was all just fun and games, music and playtime. But this was different. This was truly the next level. They were going to have baby.

It had already been a few weeks since they decided together to do this and by now, Rose had more or less confirmed that she was pregnant. Of course, by normal human standards, having a baby may not have been too much of cause for concern, or at least not overly so, as there would always be some degree of uncertainty and even fear involved. But in this case, since Rose happened to be a magical alien entity made of pure light, Greg couldn't help but cast some extra doubts on whether or this was even possible in the first place.

"You told me before that Gems don't have babies. So, are you sure you can….I mean how exactly do you know if…" Greg said, before trailing off, not entirely how appropriate it was to go down that road.

"I understand enough about the process to compensate with my shapeshifting." Rose explained simply, rubbing her hand gently against her belly, which was already showing the earlier signs of growth.

"Oh, you mean kinda like what Jasper does when she eats food?" Greg said, as he had often wondered exactly what did happen whenever Jasper eat something before it was finally explained to him. Although how Jasper figured out how to perfectly shapeshift a digestive system, Greg would never know, nor would he want to know.

"Yes, although I suppose this is a little more…intimate." Rose said with a blush, staring down at her belly, her eyes mesmerised by the sight of it, as she knew that a human life was slowly taking form within her.

"Wow, I still can't believe it. I'm actually going to be a father" Greg said, looking up to the sky with a strange smile, as he could hardly come to terms with that simple, yet unbelievable fact. "I mean, there were a lot of times in my life I imagined what that would feel like, being a dad. Now, it's like I'm terrified, but like a good sort of terrified, you know? It's sorta like the first time I ever went on stage. You can't really know how good you're gonna be at it until you're out and by then your fears don't seem to matter anymore"

Rose only appeared to be half listening to Greg as she was still gently rubbing her belly, keeping her eyes on it the whole time. "It's so strange. When I think about this, I don't feel scared, or nervous. I just feel…so excited, yet at the time I feel so calm and steady. I've never felt like that before. What I am doing now, it feels like it's the most important I might ever do. I can't really explain it. I just know it"

Greg's smile faltered as another much more unpleasant thought now came to his mind. The one element of the situation he didn't want to think about. "But Rose, you also said that if this does work, you won't exist anymore."

"Not in my current form, no" Rose said, heavily, turning to look at Greg. "But I will never be truly gone. I will still exist as part of our child. Even if I can't see or hear or even touch them, I will always feel this love. And that love will always be with you too, Greg"

Greg smiled back at Rose. Even if he didn't fully understand what Rose meant, he was satisfied none the less. Now wasn't the time to be dwelling on the negative

"Guess I'll have to ask Vidalia for some parenting tips" Greg said, remember how he used to playfully tease her about her own role as a parent, realizing the shoe will soon be on the other foot. "If babysitting taught me anything, I doubt I'll ever take my eyes off our kid for even a second"

"Don't worry" Rose said, assuring. "The Crystal Gems will be nearby. They'll help whenever you need it"

"Got to say, though, I'm glad I wasn't around when you drop the bomb to the other Crystal Gems" Greg said with a wryly smile, lying back on inside of the van, hands behind his head, feeling relatively relieved that he wasn't a part of that particular conversation. "I mean, between Jasper, Peridot and Lapis, I can't figure out who would do the most collateral damage. Least they took well enough, I guess"

"I haven't told them" Rose said, looking down at Greg

It was roughly three seconds before Greg realized what Rose had just said, before he shot upright once more. "WHAT!?" he said, gaping at Rose as though she was completely crazy. "You haven't told them yet!?"

Rose smiled at Greg weakly, quickly realizing that, somehow or another, she had caused yet another problem. "I was hoping to keep it a surprise?"

Greg gave Rose a slightly admonishing look, much a like parent would look at child who had broken a well-known rule. "Rose, we talked about this" he said, and it was clear was tone he was being quite serious this time. "You can't keep people locked out of the loop like that. You have to tell them"

"I know" Rose admitted, turning away from Greg, now looking more abashed. "I just got so excited when we decided that we were really going to do this that I forgot about them. I know should be talking more to people like you said Greg, but I'm still finding it difficult. I thought they would be as excited as I was, but then I just started to worry that they may be upset. And why I thought about that, I just couldn't really bring themselves to talk to them."

"You've been through so much with all three of them, I'm sure that they'll understand. They're your friends Rose, and they'll support you no matter what. But you gotta be open with them in return. You have to be honest"

"More open. Yes" Rose said, staring off into the distance, avoiding Greg's eye. "Okay. Tonight then. I'll tell them. "

"How about we tell them together?" Greg suggested.

Rose turned to Greg with a look of surprise, but her face soon melted into an expression of happy gratitude. "Ok. Together"

* * *

Needless to say, Peridot, Lapis and Jasper's collective reactions were less than what Rose and Greg had been hoping for and everything they had been dreading. All five of them were now standing at the Warp Pad at the base of the Temple. Rose and Greg had just finished telling the three Crystal Gems of their decision to have a child and the fact that once the child is born, Rose herself will be gone. Each of the Crystal Gems were wearing a different expression, but not one of them was a happy one.

Peridot had her mouth hanging wide open, her eyes bulging out like dinner plates, her mind having gone completely blank which by extension meant she had lost her cherished ability to speak and express critical opinions. Jasper's lips were curled back in an angry snarl, her entire body shaking almost violently, and her hands balled into fists as she glared at Rose with unmistakeable anger with a mixture of betrayal. And Lapis had simply gone stock still, her eyes becoming vacant and empty, as if she was watching everything from some distant shore.

Greg cast an uneasy glance at Rose, who didn't appear to be overly concerned with the reaction from her fellow Crystal Gems. No one had yet to say anything and at this point, it was questionable if that was a good thing or not. Long moments passed before any one of the Crystal Gems finally decided to speak up. As so happens, the first responder turned out to be Peridot, who had finally managed to recover her senses.

"You two are having a BABY?!" she screeched, throwing her hands in the air, her metal digits pointing in a different direction.

"Yup" Rose said, with an almost shy looking blush on her face.

"You _can't_ have a baby" Jasper growled a low, furious voice. "Gems don't have babies!"

"I can and I will" Rose said, with a brief, yet intense show of strength as she matched Jasper's fierce gaze with her own. Rose's expression softened as she addressed the entire group again. "Please, I don't want to see you all angry about this. You need to understand that this something I want"

"Oh, don't give me that" Jasper snapped, advancing on Rose, stopping directly in front of her. She then pointed an accusing finger at Greg. "You're only doing this because of this idiot, aren't you?! He talked you into it"

"I think you're giving me way too much credit in this" Greg said, scratching the back of his head, feeling a little uncomfortable that he had been placed in the cross hairs.

"Why would Greg need to talk me into this?" Rose said, with a sense of incredulity so innocence, she must have believed Jasper was making some kind of silly joke. "This is without a doubt the single most amazing thing I have ever done. Why else would I do it?"

Jasper let out a frustrated groan, throwing her hands up into the air, feeling like she was talking to a brick and had to resist the urge to punch it down

"Rose, Rose, let's not act rashly about this" Peridot said quickly, rushing up to Rose's side, thinking there was still a chance she could talk her out of this. "If it's excitement you want, maybe we could start with something small? Like a pet. We could get a dog, or a better version of Greg, perhaps?"

"You still think I'm Rose's pet?" Greg said with tone that was more disbelief than indignation.

"No, I thought you were _our_ pet" Peridot replied with a tone that was more clarification than scorn.

"I have already made up my mind about this." Rose said, sounding resolute and unapologetic once again. "This is what I want"

"And what about what we want?" Jasper snapped. "We don't want you to just disappear. We're the Crystal Gems. We're supposed to stick together, all of us. And now you're just abandoning us? And for what? For some….some…". Jasper trailed off, looking too disgusted to continue.

"For life" Rose said, her face turning to joy once again. "A brand new, life with the potential to be anything it could be. How could anything be more precious than that? Isn't that the very same that we chose to fight for all those years ago?"

"But why do you have to, you know….?" Peridot asked, before falling silence again, unable to complete that sentence

"This child will be half human and half of me, but we both can't exist at the same time" Rose said, calmly, without the least bit of fear or doubt. "The only way it'll happen is if I pass my gem onto to them. "

"So where are you going to be then?" Jasper demanded.

"I'll be exactly where I am meant to be". Rose turned to face the ocean, casting her eyes over the horizon in the distance as though it stretched on for an endless eternity. "Long ago, I fell in love with this world. Everyone and everything here, has its own path, its own unique, individual experience. That's what it means to be alive. That's what it means to be a human being." Rose turned to face Jasper and Peridot, a joyous smile spread across her face.

"That's why I know this is the right path for me. Because my child will be a human being with its own remarkable experience. It will be everything that I love about this world, about Greg and the three of you. I will become the love that can be felt within my child. As long as my child can feel that love within themselves, I will continue to exist."

Peridot groaned heavily and rolled her eyes, not feeling the least bit satisfied with that explanation. "Why does answer you give have to turn into a big speech?"

"Ok, look, I know this isn't easy for anyone" Greg said, hoping that maybe he could help defuse the situation even by a small degree and feeling obligated that he should be a part of this discussion. "But the truth is that this is something Rose and I both want to do. It's not really how I imagined having a kid of my own one day, but there is no one else I'd rather do this with than Rose. And I have a responsibility as a father to see this through to the end. I mean, one thing is for sure, it's going to be one heck of a wild ride, but what isn't?"

Greg smiled at Rose and took her hand. Rose smiled back at Greg and squeezed his hand in her own. One thing remained undoubtedly sure; they were both in this thing together.

The tender mood was soon broken by the sound of laughter. A cold, sarcastic and bitter sounding laughter that was coming from Jasper.

"Well that is just spectacular isn't it?" she said with cruel sneer. "For you two that is. But what do the rest of us get out of this? Nothing! It's all about what you want, even if it means abandoning us." Jasper threw her hands up in the air, putting on another sarcastic smile. "But what's the point in complaining, am I right? You've made up your mind and now there's going back anymore. So, I guess we all just have to deal with it. Go ahead and have your human kid. That obviously means more to you than we do"

Throwing one last, angry glare in Rose's direction, Jasper turned and stormed off down the right-hand side of beach, circling around the Temple and out of sight.

"Well, at least she didn't break anything" Greg said, opting to look on the bright side. There then came a very angry yell in the distance and small earthquake shook the beach. "Never mind".

Rose frowned, appearing slightly uneasy; knew from experience that Jasper would be angry, but something about her reaction felt off this time. Rose turned to Peridot, looking at her for some kind of understanding, but she appeared equally troubled.

"This is a… significant development" Peridot said, trying to sound as professional and aloof as possible. She turned away from Rose and Greg, folding her hands behind her back. "I will need some time to evaluate how I….should respond"

With that, Peridot calmly walked off without so much as a backwards glance at Rose or Greg, moving down the beach in the opposite direction Jasper had gone.

With the two of them gone, Rose and Greg then seemed to finally take notice Lapis, who had yet to move an inch from where she had been standing nor had she spoken single word since Rose and Greg had finished explaining their decision to have a baby. Her head was lowered, a dark shadow cast over her face, covering her eyes. One might have mistaken her for a statue. In complete silence, Lapis opened out her water wings and with one flap, she flew upwards into the sky, briefly circling the air around Temple, before landing on the outstretched stone hand, sitting on it like bird perched on a tree branch.

"I'm starting to see why you weren't too keen on telling them" Greg said, dryly. He knew that this wasn't going to be easy, but he didn't think it would end this badly. He looked up at Rose, offering what her sympathy he could. "I'm sorry, Rose. If you want, I can try and talk to them myself, maybe I can-"

"No" Rose said sharply, holding a hand up to silence Greg, an act which took him by surprise. "You were right before. I have to be the one to do this. It's my responsibility. They're my responsibility"

Rose stepped forward and took a deep breath. Greg was slightly taken back; he had never seen Rose act with such authority before. Though it was a very brief, the change in demeanour almost made Greg think she was a different person, but he soon brushed it off, thinking Rose was simply trying to put on a brave face.

"Well, ok" Greg said, giving Rose a light punch on the arm. "Go get'em champ"

Rose's face softened and she smiled again at Greg, who gave her a wink and thumbs up in return. She felt herself become additional motivated by his support, which she found herself to be greatly in need of right now, as she braced herself for what she had to do next.

Having already decided who she would speak to first, Rose followed the path around the side of the beach where she Jasper standing at the edge of a rocky shore underneath the cliffside, next to a set of a large stack of boulders. Digging her fingers into one of the boulders, Jasper plucked the massive chunk of stone clean put from the ground. Balancing the rock on her shoulder, Jasper took up a stance and hurled it out over the ocean, like a pitcher throwing a baseball. Whether she was playing some kind of game or trying hit a target, it didn't seem to matter, as Jasper simply picked up the next boulder and threw it right behind the first.

Without waiting for any formal announcement, Rose approached Jasper as she hurled another boulder out the water. Jasper didn't turn to acknowledge Rose's presence.

"You know if you're not careful, you might sink another ship by doing that" Rose said causally, recalling a certain incident many years ago involving a much larger ship and a block of ice.

"How do you know I'm not aiming for one?" Jasper replied with a slight sneer, as she picked up another boulder, preparing her stance.

"You would never do something like that on purpose" Rose said kindly. Jasper scowled angrily at this complement and threw her boulder with additional ferocity, and while this one went much further its angle was off, the boulder veering much further out to the left.

"And if you were trying to, your aim still needs work" Rose said, taking the moment to indulge in a bit of snarky humour.

"What do you want, Rose?" Jasper said, begrudgingly accepting the fact that her solitude was now ruined yet still she refused to look directly at Rose as she spoke.

"Jasper, I need to talk to you" Rose said, now looking serious again.

"Guess we should do much as talking as we can while we still have the chance" Jasper shot back harshly, crossing her arms. "Pretty soon, you'll be gone, and I won't have to listen to your nagging anymore"

"That's what I need to talk to you about" Rose repeated. "When I'm gone, there's something you'll have to do for me."

Having lost whatever patience she had left, Jasper let out another angry growl, throwing up a dismissive hand at Rose and was in the process of storming off once again, before Rose called after her, almost pleading for her attention. "Jasper, please, this is important. That's why I'm asking _you_ "

Jasper then stopped and turned around to face Rose with another angry scowl. "Oh yeah?" she scoffed. "And what could the _mighty_ Rose Quartz possibly need from someone like me?" she asked, coldly and with deep scepticism. "You want me to water your garden? Clean out your fountain? Take some singing lessons? Huh? After everything I have already done for you, what do you want from me now!?"

Rose folded her hands down to her waist and looked Jasper dead in eye, speaking with the utmost seriousness. "When I'm gone Jasper, I need you to become the leader of the Crystal Gems

Jasper's scowl dropped from her face instantly and she now looked to be nothing short of utterly gobsmacked. Of every conceivable response that Jasper had been expecting Rose to give, it was clear that that was the absolute last thing she thought she would say.

"Me?" Jasper said softly after a long moment, her mind finally absorbing the shock. All her fierce exterior had melted away and she now appeared much a like small child, full of fear and uncertainty. "The leader of…..but I'm just…"

"Jasper, I know we don't always see eye to eye on things". Rose said. She walked up to Jasper who briefly recoiled back from Rose as though intimidated, despite the obvious lack of theart. "I know we're both so different, but there's no Gem I could ever trust more than I trust you. I mean look at you!" Rose beamed brightly at Jasper, who squirmed uncomfortably under her stare, looking as Rose was actually belittling her in some way. "You're the best, strongest, most perfect Quartz soldier that was ever made. And you were made here, right on this planet. You are amazing!"

"I'm not… amazing" Jasper mumbled, looking down sand, trying to avoid Rose's beaming gaze. Rose then surprised Jasper again by taking hold of her hands and pulling them toward her chest.

"That's why I'm not afraid or worried about the future when I'm gone" Rose said, squeezing Jasper's hands tightly in her own. "Because I know you'll keep them safe. The Corrupted Gems, the Temple, the humans, Peridot and Lapis, they'll be in your hands from now on."

Jasper stared down at her own hands in astonishment, before she pulled away from Rose, shaking her head, still in disbelief. "No, I-I-I can't be. I'm…I'm not like you"

"That's a good thing." Rose said softly. She continued to stare at Jasper with those innocent and childlike eyes, which somehow could take all the fight right out of Jasper. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Jasper turned her back to Rose, unable to look in her eye any longer and not wanting to show her hesitation or weakness.

Jasper had been through this a million times before. It was always the same. No matter how much Jasper hated it or tried to argue back, Rose always somehow managed to find a way of talking her into doing these things no matter how uncomfortable or frustrating she found them. But this was different than anything Rose had asked Jasper do to before. Rose was offering her something more than just freedom or a new challenge. She was offering Jasper the chance to be her successor, to prove herself. Jasper couldn't deny that deep down, this was something she wanted this very badly. All her life, everyone has told Jasper that she was the greatest Quartz solider there ever was. And now _the_ greatest Quartz solider ever made has just asked Jasper to take her place. Jasper could almost laugh at the irony of it.

Long minutes passed as Jasper considered what to do next, while Rose patiently for her answer, before, finally, Jasper spoke again.

"If you're serious about going through with this" she said firmly, not giving away even a hint of weakness in her voice. "Then I guess I have to be serious about going through this as well. I'll handle things when you're gone"

Rose released a piercing scream of joy that almost caused Jasper to jump out of her skin. "Oh Jasper, thank you so much!" In a blink of eye, Rose scooped Jasper up into her arms, lifting her into the air as she gave her a crushing hug, all the while oblivious to the look of embarrassment on Jasper's face before Rose set her down again.

"Take good care of Lapis." Rose said. A sudden blush appeared on Jasper's face and she immediately looked up to a quadrant of the sky. Rose gave a slight smirk. "And try to keep Peridot on a short leash"

Jasper chuckled darkly. "Maybe, I'll just feed her to the next monster we fight". Both Jasper and Rose suddenly burst out laughing, the two Gem warriors taking the opportunity to enjoy the moment of peace and companionship between them. Then in a surprising gesture of friendship, Jasper raised her arm and offered out her hand to Rose.

"Quartz soldiers?" she asked, with a slight smirk.

Rose smiled and clasped her hand in Jasper's, matching the strength of her grip; even though she was holding back a little herself, Rose never failed to be impressed with Jasper's strength. Jasper was truly the ultimate Quartz solider and more than anything, Rose was so honoured that she saw her as fellow Quartz in return. Almost nothing could make her happier.

"Quartz soldiers" Rose replied. Releasing her hand from Jasper's, Rose gave her another grateful smile. "I know you'll do what's best for everyone".

Jasper merely grunted in response and said nothing else as Rose walked down the beach, leaving her alone by the shore once again. Jasper waited until she was sure that Rose was gone, and then finally allowed herself a moment to fully embrace what had just happened. She was going to become the leader of the Crystal Gems. Rose actually trusted her to be the leader. Even now, Jasper could hardly believe it. A smile then touched her lips. Not a scowl or a sneer, but a genuine smile that looked so innocent it was almost foreign to see on her face, another reason that Jasper was grateful she alone. Jasper had never felt happier. Nor had she ever felt more terrified.

Walking along the opposite side of the beach, Rose found Peridot pacing up and down the side of the Temple, talking into her finger-screen as she always did whenever she discovered something worth documenting or when she was greatly troubled.

"This situation had taken a distressing turn" she said into her screen recorder. "Rose and Greg's courtship ritual has now reached a point where they are going to attempt to produce some kind of hybrid monstrosity. I can think of only logical two explanations for this. The first is that Greg must possess some unknown form of hypnotic power of which he has used to enthral Rose to do his bidding. The second explanation is that Rose's mind has finally snapped and she had now crossed the threshold into a newfound layer of madness the likes of which-"

Peridot abruptly stopped walking when she saw Rose was standing directly in front of her, forcing her to take a pause in her log date. Peridot then calmly side stepped around Rose and continued on as if she not been interrupted.

"The likes of which have never been seen. I knew Rose was insane from the moment we first met and yet somehow, I allowed her to beguile me with her colourful platitudes and catchy songs. Now, I'm left wondering if I made the right decision all those years ago when I joined up with her. Did I make a mistake? Has my entire life here as a Crystal Gem now become invalid? Oh, I have never felt more like an idiot. Peridot, log date."

Finished, Peridot de-activated her screen and folded her arms behind her back, staring off into space, still appearing to be in deep thought over the situation. Rose wasn't sure if she should say anything; she never once wanted to interrupt Peridot once she had begun speaking. Of course, the problem with that was that Rose wasn't never entirely sure why Peridot would stop speaking either. As it turned out Rose didn't have long to wait before Peridot spoke again.

"Rose, let me ask you something" Peridot asked, turning around to face her. "Regarding this whole…. _baby_ thing, have you given even the slightest amount of thought as to what you're doing?"

"Oh, yes! I'm thinking about it all the time" Rose said earnestly

"Right" Peridot said slowly. "And at no point in your thought process have you raised _any_ concerns? You don't see any issue with this present course of action?"

"Well no, I don't" Rose answered with simple honesty, a bit confused by the nature of the question. "Do you?"

Peridot her left eye twitching slightly as she let out a dry, almost mirthless sounding chuckle, completely taken aback by Rose's unperturbed response.

"Well, yes!" she exclaimed. "I mean just look at the facts. You're going to give up your physical form and gem in order to give birth to a human baby. This isn't something as simple as building a Kindergarten where you can fashion any sort of Gem you want. This thing won't be a Quartz or a Ruby or Agate or any Gem of any kind. It will be an actual human being. I can't even begin to wrap my head around that"

Peridot paced up and down the beach, continuing to rail away at the absurdity of what Rose was intending to do, while Rose listened to her intently, as though Peridot was in the middle of narrating a brilliant tale.

"I mean, just think about for even one second" Peridot stressed, becoming increasingly frantic. "A human baby. A form of life that has no procedural plan or structure laid for out it to follow. They just exist and grow and develop into any of a million different possible variations. And that's just like regular humans. We are talking about a human baby that came from a _Gem_. There is literally no precedence for this for this situation whatsoever. You are about to do something that has never, ever been done before by any Gem throughout the history of the universe".

Peridot paused in her ramblings to glance at Rose as though she was expecting some kind of shocked reaction from her, but instead Rose just continued watching with bated anticipation, waiting for Peridot to continue. Now looking truly desperate, Peridot threw her arms out at Rose, hoping that she would understand what she was trying to say. "Even if by some sheer mathematically improbable contrivance that this all _does_ work out, we have absolutely no idea what will happen afterwards! Anything could happen!"

Rather than be shocked or appalled by what that Peridot had just said, Rose beamed brightly, clasping her hands together, looking nothing short of ecstatic. "I know" she whispered, barely able to contain herself, tears of joy forming in her eyes. "Isn't it exciting?"

Peridot's arms dropped to her side as she stared at Rose in sheer disbelief. And it was then that Peridot finally gave in, her face slowly broke into wide, silly grin as she started giggling like a goofball, no longer able to deny the thrill of this latest, hairbrained adventure they had found themselves in.

"Yes! Yes, it is!" she squealed in delight, bounding up and down on heels. The two Gems started giggling like a pair of schoolgirls after finding a delicious piece of gossip, clasping each other's hands and dancing small little jig around on the beach.

"You're really going to have a baby!" Peridot said breathlessly, placing her hands on either side of her head as she resumed her earlier pacing, full of renewed energy and vigour as her mind was now racing at the thought of what was to come next. "Oh my stars! What should I do first? I'll need to make a good first impression. Should I get it something? Is it customary? What do babies like? What am I saying, it could like anything at all! There are no wrong answers. And if there are, I'll be the first one to find them. I am gonna make, so, _sooooo_ many log dates about this!"

"I'm sure whatever you do, it'll be amazing, Peridot" Rose said, watching with joy as the smaller Gem looked ready to explode with excitement. Rose could never help but marvel at Peridot's endlessly passion and tenacity. Rose never thought that she would ever meet anyone who could be more excited about life on Earth than she was. And then along came Peridot, who embraced her new life here like no other Gem Rose had ever encounter before. She could listen to Peridot prattle on and on about her opinions of life and the universe for hours, but Rose soon remembered another matter she needed to discuss.

"Peridot" Rose said firmly, causing Peridot to cease her ramblings, as she turned around to face Rose again. "There is something else I need to tell you. It's about what happens to Crystal Gems after I am gone"

"Oh, I already anticipated this" Peridot said, closing her eyes with a smug expression. "And I assure you Rose that I am fully prepared to accept all the responsibilities and glory that will come with my impending succession as the new leader of the Crystal Gems"

Rose grinned sheepishly, seeing that the conversation had just taken an unfortunately awkward turn. "Actually, Jasper is going to be the leader" she said.

Peridot's eye snapped open at once and she wheeled around to Rose in disbelief. "What?! Jasper? But I'm obviously the superior candidate for leadership. I am incredibly humble"

"Yes" Rose said patiently, not seeing any reason to disagree with that bit of self-assessment. "But the reason I'm picking Jasper because I know she will do everything in her power to project all of you. But we both know Jasper can be a little…aggressive from time to time". Rose leaned closer to Peridot, her voice dropping to more of a hushed whisper, despite the fact they were quite alone. "That's why she'll need someone who can keep her from getting out of control. Someone who is level-handed. Someone who isn't afraid to speak their mind when they need to"

"Oh, oh, oh, it's me!" Peridot exclaimed loudly, throwing her arm up into the air. "We're talking about me, aren't we!"

Rose laughed and nodded happily. "That's right. When I'm gone Peridot, I'm expecting you to help Jasper anyway you can to protect the Earth and to keep trying to find a way of healing the Corrupted Gem. Even if she hates it, Jasper will need you around to tell her when she's wrong"

Rose placed her hand on Peridot's on the shoulder, as though passing on some kind of unspoken responsibility to the smaller Gem, while giving her a proud smile. Peridot said nothing, staring up at Rose with a blank expression, before her face broke into a wide grin. "Oh, I see. We're _telling_ Jasper she'll be the leader, but we both know who's really going to be in charge". Peridot tilted her head to the side and gave a long, overdrawn wink, making absolutely sure that would go unnoticed. "See?" she said, pointing to her eye. "The wink means we're plotting against her"

Rose snorted loudly and broke into a fit of laughter, despite the fact that Peridot was obviously being quite serious.

"Oh, Peridot" she said, cupping the little Gem's chin under her hand. "You never fail to amaze me. Don't ever stop amazing everyone around you"

Peridot blushed slightly, putting on a tiny, V-shaped smile on her face, which made her look much like an adorable kitten before she recomposed herself once more.

"Well, I better go and tell our _leader_ that she'll have my total support" Peridot said, chuckling to herself as she walked away from Rose, heading down the beach back toward the Temple. "Oh, that poor, hapless Jasper. So gullible"

Rose watched with a smile as Peridot went off to find Jasper. She was a little curious to see how that conversation was going to play out, but she didn't have time to think about that right now. By her count, that was now two down and with one to go. Luckily for Rose all she needed to do next was look up, until she found the last person she needed to speak with.

Kicking her heels off the sand, Rose launched herself up into the air, slowly floating downwards like a leaf in the wind, landing on the extended hand of the Temple. Lapis had yet to move a single inch from where she landed previously. Whether or not she had been eavesdropping on Rose's conversation with Peridot and Jasper was unknown, but it seemed unlikely, as Lapis didn't appear to be showing any interest whatsoever in the world beyond the stone hand that she was sitting on.

Without pause for any invitation, Rose took a seat right next to Lapis, who didn't look up to acknowledge Rose's presence. Rose, likewise, made no immediate attempt at conversation; instead, she turned her attention up to the sky.

"Wow, it's so beautiful tonight" she said, taking the moment to admire the starry night sky. "You know, no matter how much time I spend on this planet or where I go, I never get tired of this sky. The stars and galaxies from here are the just best view"

Lapis said nothing and just continued to stare down at her own feet with a sad expression, while Rose continued to gaze up to the sky, marvelling at it as though this was the very first time she had ever laid eyes on it.

"You know, I'm actually a little jealous" Rose said, with the same conversational tone as before. "You can fly and all I can do is float. You can go up there and get as close as you want." Rose let out a long, content sigh. "I remember how you and I would sit back and look up at the sky for hours on end. That's always been one of my favourite things to do with you Lapis."

Rose glanced at Lapis, looking hopeful that this would provoke from kind of response from her, but again, there was nothing and Lapis appeared just as disinterested as ever. Rose bit her lip, now feeling unsure of what to do next. She tried to think of what Greg might say in this situation. She knew that he would tell Rose to step talking so much about what she liked; she should be asking Lapis what's wrong, she needed to open a dialogue to understand how she was feeling. It didn't seem to be that hard, yet every time Rose tried to open her mouth, she'd relent. She had no idea talking to someone could be this hard. But Rose couldn't let that stop her. She had to do this, just like Greg had told her. All Rose had to do was ask a simple question.

"Lapis, I, um, I wanted to ask…"

"You're leaving us" Lapis said; her voice was barely audible, yet the abruptness of it was enough to stop Rose in the middle of her question. Though she was a bit caught off guard, Rose nonetheless answered Lapis in a perfectly calm manner.

"Yes, I am".

Lapis closed her eyes tightly and pressed her forehead down onto her arms, having desperately been hoping that Rose would have said something else. "Why?" she asked, her voice almost cracking.

"Because that's the only way it can be Lapis." Rose said, still as calm as ever.

"But why does it have to be that way?" In a sudden burst of movement, Lapis pulled her head up and grabbed Rose by her arms, her face flushed with anguish as she was practically shaking Rose. "Why can't you stay? Why do you have to leave? There has to be some way for you to stay! There has to be something else you can do!"

Rose stared down at Lapis with an impassive face, watching as tears began to swell up in her eyes; she was begging Rose to say that she won't disappear, to say that she would stay with by Lapis side forever and that nothing would change for them. But Rose knew the only thing she could tell Lapis was the truth.

"I'm sorry. But I can't." Rose closed her eyes and placed her hand down on her belly, just above her gemstone, knowing the precious life she was now carrying within herself. "I will see this through to the very end. No matter what"

Lapis eyes widened as that last piece of denial faded; she didn't want to believe it but there truly was no going back. She released her hands, her arms dropping lifelessly to her sides as she turned away from Rose. With nothing else to say, Lapis cast her eyes up towards the sky, but she was not looking at the stars with the same kind of wonder as Rose had done earlier. There was something else in her eyes, something desperate, something that longed for an escape. For so many years they had been trapped on this one tiny world, cut off from the rest of the universe. Every one of them was stuck on this world. Everyone that is, but Lapis. There was a way out for her. She didn't have to stay here; she didn't have to endure this torture. It would be so simple…so easy to just leave

Without even thinking about what she was doing, Lapis could feel her body beginning to tense, readying itself to move, the gemstone on her back letting out a faint glow, preparing to summon her wings. In just a few seconds, this would all be behind her.

But then everything came to halt and Lapis felt herself being pulled out from her desperation and back into reality as Rose's hand touch her on the shoulder. Lapis gasped and flinched at her touch, looking like a child who had just been caught in an act of wrongdoing, fulling expecting Rose to be angry with her, but Rose was looking at Lapis with nothing but concern.

"Lapis, please tell me what's wrong" she said, her words slow and solemnly. "Tell me….tell me how _you_ feel"

It was a long moment before Lapis seemed to register the question, and it seemed to be an equally long time before she relaxed herself and answered.

"I'm afraid" Lapis said quietly, lowering her head, hugging her legs around her chest again.

"Of what?" Rose asked softly.

"Of what happens what you're gone. What's going to happen to me?".

"That will be up to you, Lapis." Rose answered, smiling again. "Only you can decide what'll happen to you next"

Lapis sighed, resting her forehead down on her knees, looking completely exhausted. "You don't understand. There's always this part of me that's never really at peace, always thinking, feeling that everything is going to come crashing down around me. What gave me the most comfort was knowing that you would always be there to protect me, to keep safe me in case things go wrong. Now I won't even have that anymore. "

"Oh, Lapis" Rose said, smiling. "I don't think that's true at all. I think you are so much stronger than what you give yourself credit for. I've seen what you're capable of. You _can_ keep going"

"But what if I can't?" Lapis shut her eyes, shaking her head back and forth, becoming more and more distressed. "What if I can't keep things together by myself? What if something terrible happens? What if something happens to Peridot or Jasper? What if they get hurt and I can't handle it? What if I-"

"Why do you keep saying what if?" Rose said. She placed a gently hand on Lapis shoulder and then pointed her up to the sky. "What if you stopped doing that? What if you just looked at the sky all day long?"

Lapis pulled away from Rose, hugging her arms around her chest again. "I'm not like you Rose. I can't forget what happened to me. You can't understand how bad I feel"

Rose listened to Lapis, her words stirring something inside of her. Something that Rose spent so hard trying to forget. Something she never wanted to deal with again; her past. Just the thought of it sent a horrible shiver throughout her being, forcing her to immediately repress it. Is that what Lapis was going through right now? Was it so hard for Lapis to forget her past and focus on the here and now? How could Rose have never considered that before? She never realized that she and Lapis had something so significant in common; neither one of them could deal with their respective pasts

"Maybe you're right, maybe I don't understand" Rose admitted guilty, lowering her head as though in shame. "But the truth is…..I feel bad sometimes as well. Thinking about all of our friends who are gone. About my…. _our_ past. If I were to think about it too long, it does make me feel really terrible"

Lapis looked at Rose with some surprise, noticing the sad expression on her face, having never seen her look so disheartened before. But in a moment Rose's gloomy demeanour passed and she appeared again with the same childlike joy and excitement as always.

"But there's not a day that goes by when I'm not happy to be here. To be with you and Peridot and Jasper, Greg and all the humans. To live with such unbridled freedom. Everyday has been a different experience, I can't even count them all. I know that there were a lot of hard times for us, but we were given this chance to be happy for the first time in our lives"

Lapis listened to Rose's words, feeling a sense of renewed hope beginning to rise inside her once again, but that feeling was quickly enveloped in the same dark, cynicism that she always carried within her.

"I can't be happy" she said, turning away from Rose, tears forming in her eyes again. "All I ever do is run away. Run away and cry. I just….don't want to keep crying". Lapis broke into a quiet sob, feeling miserable and ashamed with herself. No matter how hard she tried, this always came to her. She could never run away from this. Suddenly, Lapis felt a gentle hand reach under her chin, pulling her head. Rose smiled down at water Gem with such compassion.

"Stop" she said softly, gently brushing away one of Lapis tears with her thumb. "No more tears. Smile. Smile and be happy. You _can_ be happy here. I know you can. Remember all the good times we shared here? The reason I'm doing this is because I want my child to be able to experience all those same kinds of joys".

Rose closed her eyes and leaned in closer to Lapis, dropping her voice down to a whisper. "But the biggest thing I am looking forward to, is for my child to meet _you_ , Lapis. Meeting you was one of the best experiences of my life"

Lapis eyes began to water, becoming overwhelmed with emotion. She tried to do as Rose had said, she tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't help herself. Breaking into another sob, Lapis suddenly flung her arms around Rose's waist, hugging her like a child may have hugged their parent. Surprised, Rose slowly placed her arms around Lapis, returning her hug, gently rubbing her hand on her head, wanting to let her as safe and comfortable as possible. The two Gems remained like that for several minutes as Lapis quietly cried into Rose's chest until finally, she detached herself from Rose, drying her own tears, taking a few deep breaths until she appeared to have steadied herself once again.

Rose took Lapis hand in her own, giving it a firm squeeze, hoping that she had done enough to make Lapis feel better. "Oh, there's one more thing" Rose said, suddenly remembering something else. "When I'm gone Lapis, I'll need you to-"

"Look, for the last time, I don't need your advice, now get lost!"

Rose and Lapis both turned their heads down to the beach below as they heard the unmistakeable sound of Jasper getting angry, knowing full well there was only one being in existence who could aggravate her this much.

"You call that a threat?" Peridot replied, sounding unimpressed as she followed after Jasper, who was doing everything in her power to ignore the smaller Gem. "Please. If you want to strike intimidation into your subordinates, you did to put more effort into it. You sound like you're dealing with something that's not worth your time"

Jasper spun around, bringing her face directly down to Peridot's with a threatening snarl. "I swear, if you don't back off right now, I'm gonna rip those Limb Enhancers clean off!"

"Now that's more like it" Peridot said, clearly pleased with Jasper's increased show of aggression, her smug reaction only serving to make Jasper even angrier. "You see Jasper, you do have the makings of a quality leader, once the proper guidance has been applied of course. Don't worry, I will always be right here by your side telling everything you're doing wrong"

"That's it!"

Peridot let out startled yell as she ducked out of the Jasper's hand, before she took off running. "Ah, wait a second, we need to discuss how you want to administer discipline first!"

Rose and Lapis watched with not so guilty amusement as Peridot sprinted across the beach, moving as fast as she could to get away from Jasper who chased after her, neither of them making any move to intervene anytime soon.

"I need you to keep things from getting out of hand between them" Rose said to Lapis, while nudging her head down in the directions of their fellow Crystal Gems. "They'll need someone to keep them from driving each other crazy"

"What if it gets really, really funny?" Lapis asked, with an innocent smile.

"Hmm, then wait five minutes" Rose said slyly, giving Lapis a small wink. Lapis and Rose both started laughing. Without warning, Lapis embraced Rose in another tight hug. For this moment, just for this moment, Lapis knew without a doubt that she was safe, she knew everything was okay, that everything will work out for them. Just for a moment.

The moment was then timely interrupted by the sound of another scream from Peridot coming. from below, indicating that she likely had fallen into Jasper's grasp.

"I, uh, better get in there" Lapis said. She released Rose and summoned her water wings, flying down to the beach, where she promptly saved Peridot from Jasper's wrath.

From the edge of the stone hand, Rose leaned forward and lay on her belly, holding her hands under her chin as she watched the events unfold below.

Lapis was now standing on the beach with her arms crossed and wryly smile on her face, extending out her water wings in form of two giant arms to grab Jasper by her shoulders, holding back as she furiously clawed at the air inches away from Peridot, who was now sticking her tongue out and making mocking faces back at Jasper.

Rose smile warmly, feeling so very happy knowing that her three best friends were having such a good time with each other. And strangely, Rose felt very happy with herself. She felt happy that she was able to sit down and really talk to each of them, just like she had been doing with Greg for these past few months. Rose suddenly started giggling to herself, not even noticing the fact that she was already floating up into the air again.

* * *

After returning the solid ground again, Rose later found Greg sitting inside of his van, parked outside the Temple, idly tuning away at his guitar when he looked up to see her approaching.

"So how did it go?" he asked, setting his guitar down on his lab, sounding hopeful, yet still retained some minor sense of caution in case of more bad news.

"I think it well pretty well" Rose said rather modest, taking a seat inside the van next to the Greg. From the van, they watched as the three Crystal Gems were continuing their shenanigans in the distance.

Lapis laughed in delight as she circled around the air, followed closely behind by Peridot who likewise was airborne thanks to her finger-copter, while Jasper glowered at the two Gems from below, not liking to be reminded of she was the only Crystal Gem without a means of flight. Peridot was too busy snickering at the earthbound Jasper to notice a mischievous Lapis sneak up behind her and trap her rotating fingers in a bubble of water. Peridot had only enough time to register brief look of shock as she realized what had just happened, before gravity kicked in and she dropped to the ground like a stone, landing into Jasper's waiting arms. The Quartz solider let out a devilish grin as she placed Peridot into a tight headlock and proceeded to give her a very hard noogie, crushing her diamond shaped head of hair.

"Huh, look at that" Greg said, sounding pleasantly surprised as well as pleased. "Looks like their back to old selves again. You must have worked out your problems that easy"

"Yes, I said….what I needed to say to them." Rose expression then changed, appearing more sombre and guilt ridden. "You were right Greg. I was wrong not to tell them. I should have been considering how they would cope with my decision. I just…being selfish"

Greg placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, everybody is a little selfish from time to time" he said kindly. "But you still took the time to talk to your friends and work through your problems. I'm proud of you for doing that"

Rose smiled at him and placed her own hand over his. She had never thought of her life before she met Greg, and now she could hardly imagine her life without him. He always had such good and down to earth advice.

"Thank you, Greg" Rose said. "Now, I know they'll be okay. All of them. Because when I'm gone, they all have each to lean on. And I know that our child will be okay too. Because they're going to have an amazing father like you Greg"

Greg grinned broadly, trying his to hide the sudden blushing he could feel in his cheeks. "Who knows, maybe I'll have to lean on them too from time to time"

Together Rose and Greg watched as Jasper, Lapis and Peridot continued their roughhousing. Jasper had released Peridot, taking the opportunity to grab hold of Lapis by the ankle, pulling her down into a tight bear hug and refusing to let her go. Now freed and seeking revenge, Peridot clambered up onto Jasper's mane of white hair, squatted onto her broad shoulders and feverishly began to noogie her in return, although her attempts barely seemed to leave any impact on the Quartz solider as Jasper was too busy trying to keep a determined hold of Lapis who was giggling happily as she tried to free herself.

And though it was for just a fleeting moment, the human and Gem couple couldn't help but feel much like a pair of real parents watching their own kids fight and make up. It was almost something close to normal, even though just about every facet of this situation was about as far from normal as Rose was from a real Quartz. And for Greg and Rose's yet to be born son, that was probably a good thing.


	12. The Return

It was the usual, calm, peaceful, boring and but otherwise perfectly happy day in Beach City. With its sandy beaches, clear blue skies and friendly locals up and down the boardwalk, it was truly a fine place to for anyone to call home. Frankly, the only real downsides to living in Beach City would be the random monster attacks that would every other week and the occasional apocalyptic mishaps that were caused either by the three magical ladies who lived at the giant Temple built into the cliff side or the strange kid with the gemstone for a bellybutton. Usual the latter.

Steven was walking down the boardwalk alongside his father Greg, who was treating his son to a bag of fry bits from Mr Fryman's. As they walked, Steven was eagerly telling Greg all about his latest exploits with the Crystal Gems.

"So, then Pearl and Amethyst warped back up into space with their robot cubes things. Those are the ones that shoot out these cool red laser beams"

"Wow, that all sounds kinda….scary." Greg replied, uneasy. He usually didn't mind hearing about Steven's adventures with the Gems. While it always sounded a little dangerous from time to time, from what Greg could tell, things never really end that badly for Steven and nobody seemed to get hurt. But all this talk about Pearl and Amethyst, was starting to sound like something else entirely. And that was what was worrying Greg.

"Steven, you ever feel like maybe Gem stuff is too much for you?" Greg asked his son.

Steven stuffed a handful of fry bits into his mouth, slowly chewing and swallowing them, unsure of what his father meant by that question. "What do you-"

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sensation that shook the ground as though earthquake had just hit, knocking Steven off his feet. The entire boardwalk was struck by the same rumbling sensation; a dozen or so windows were shattered, startling a number of townsfolk before finally it ceased. Greg soon helped Steven back to his feet, who was now combating a brief sense of dizziness. Whatever that force was, Steven didn't think it was an earthquake. It felt more like a giant vibration that was moving through the air, like the aftershock of an explosion. Steven turned his head up to the sky, spotting something on the distance horizon, close to the setting sun. It was faint, but he could just barely make out an outline of the object, but he couldn't be sure if he was seeing things or not

"Is that a….giant sword?"

Whatever it was, Steven knew that it had to be the source of the disturbance and that he needed to inform the Crystal Gem, if they didn't know already. Both he and Greg hurried down the beach, heading toward the Temple, where they found both Jasper and Lapis near the edge of the shore. Lapis was pacing back and forth along the sand, appearing uneasy, while Jasper stood holding Steven's telescope, mount and all, in her right hand, looking through the eyepiece lens with a grim expression aimed at the unknown object on the horizon.

"Are the Light Cannons ready?" Jasper asked, without breaking away from the telescope.

"Peridot's getting the last one now" Lapis replied, fidgety glancing back to the Beach House, unable to keep herself still for more than a few seconds, hardly even noticing Steven and Greg as they approached the two Gems.

"Guys, did you see that thing up in the sky?" Steven asked instinctively, without pausing to register the likely redundancy of that question.

"No doubt about it" Jasper said, tossing telescope down to the sand, eyes still remaining fixed on the sky above. "It's a Gem warship"

The moment Jasper threw the telescope down, Lapis immediately set it up right again and looked into the eyepiece. "I've never _seen_ one like that before" she said, growing more and more unnerved by the situation with each passing second. "It must be Pearl and Amethyst again. They must be bringing reinforcements with them this time"

"It's happening…" Greg whispered, with an increasing note of nervousness and fear in his voice.

"Let me see!" Steven cried. Lapis stepped aside as Steven took a hold of the telescope, placing his eye over the eyepiece to get a proper look at the mysterious object in the sky. Sure enough, his initial assumption was correct. The object was indeed a giant sword that looked to be the size of an airplane. The shape of the blade was long and wide, like a kind of broad sword, with a hilt, and a diamond shaped pommel at the end of the sword's grip. The sword, or rather ship, was black in colour, with the same the seamless and sleek texture that reminded Steven of Peridot's old spaceship.

"Peridot, are the Light Cannons ready?" Jasper yelled in the direction of the Beach House.

"Almost!" Peridot yelled back as she set down Rose's cannon on the front porch using her tractor beam. Peridot then tapped an icon on her finger-screen; a small metal platform slid out from underneath the rafters of the house, revealing an additional three Light Cannons, all now pointed up at the sky.

With everything in position, Jasper handed Steven a walkie-talkie, giving me a firm nod. "Light'em up"

Nodding in return, Steven spoke into the walkie-talkie, reciting the password to activating the cannons, the same creed that had been passed down to him by his father and by which Steven lived his own life by. "If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs!"

The walkie talkie duck taped underneath rafters carried Steven's message over to the Light Cannons, all four of them powering up at his command. The four cannons fired in unison, each releasing a beam of pure light energy that took the shape of a Rose Quartz figure. The four Quartz beams combined together in a spiralling dance, twirling in a straight line toward the sword-shaped spaceship, which made no attempt to manoeuvre or defend itself. The beams then struck the surface of the ship, bouncing off its black coated hull as though they were nothing more splashes of water, leaving no visible damage whatsoever to the ship nor did they appear to have slowed it down in the slightest.

"Nothing" Jasper said, holding up the telescope to her eye once again. She didn't sound surprised.

"What now?" Greg said, growing more and more fearful by the second concerned. A moment later, Peridot landed onto the beach using her finger-copter and joined the rest of the group.

"Looks like I have no choice now, but to pull out my secret weapon" she said, with mixture of apprehensive acknowledgment and reluctance, as opposed to her usual smug and overzealous enthusiasm. "I'll need some time to get it ready"

"And if that doesn't work, we'll have to take them on the ground" Jasper said. She then turned to Greg with a serious and grim look. "But we can't guarantee the safety of the town or the humans."

"Then it's time for some political favours" Steven said, pulling out his cell phone and selecting the number for Mayor Dewey. Steven didn't have to wait long before a frightened sounding voice he knew to be Mayor Dewey's answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mayor Dewey! It's me, Steven Universe"

"Universe, what's this thing in the sky?" the Mayor asked, sounding very much as though he knew or at least suspected, this was all Steven's fault. "As a man in a position of power, I can't have a big sword dangling over my head. "

"Mayor Dewey, the whole town's in danger" Steven said, stressing the urgency of the situation. "We have to evacuate the city."

It didn't take much more persuasion before Mayor Dewey was convinced to organise an evacuation and it took even less persuasion for the rest of the townsfolk to agree to evacuate within the next hour. Everything on the boardwalk closed down as the residents hurriedly backed up their belongings and essentials into their cars, slowly making their way of town in the form of a small convoy. From the sidewalk at the edge of the beach, Steven watched as the town had become virtually deserted, with only Mr Fryman and his family remaining, as they were almost finished loading their possession into the moving van. Though he was sad to see everyone go, Steven still felt relieved that they were all out of harm's way.

Steven then turned around to the others, intent on asking them what the rest of the plan was but paused once he saw Jasper hurling several large bags into Greg's van. Greg likewise was dressed in his full jacket, standing next to Lapis and Peridot, none of them speaking, yet all three of looked extremely nervous.

"Hey, that's a great idea, Dad" Steven said. "You should leave with the rest of the-" Steven paused when he saw his own cheeseburger backpack being dropped at Greg's feet. And it appeared to already be full.

"Is that my luggage?" Steven asked, confused. He looked up toward his father for an answer, with Greg practically flinching at his son's innocent gaze, unable to reply.

"Who wants to break it to him?" Greg said, turning to the other two Gems beside him. Lapis and Peridot exchanged a nervous look with one another, neither of them willing to volunteer. Slowly, all three of them turned to Jasper, who had just closed the door of the van. Realizing all eyes were on her, Jasper let out a small, frustrated groan, knowing that they fully expected her to be the one to rip this band aid off. Jasper picked up Steven's backpack off the ground and walked over to the him.

"You're going with Greg and the rest of humans" she said blunt and to the point, handing Steven his backpack.

"What, but why can't I-" Steven began, but Jasper quickly raised her hand which silenced him at once.

"This isn't the time for arguments Steven. This is serious". Jasper sighed and took a knee down in front of Steven, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Alright look, I know you've come pretty far these past few months. You're a lot stronger than what you were. But trust me when I say, you are _not_ ready for this. Leave this to us. You need to go with Greg and everyone else and make sure they're all safe. That's your mission this time. That's just what Rose would do"

A part of Steven wanted to argue back, but as soon as Jasper mentioned his mother, he knew that he had to obey. If this is really what Rose Quartz would do, then it was no less than what Steven could do.

Nevertheless, it was still quite painful for Steven to get into the van alongside Greg and join the rest of the convoy of Beach City residents heading out of town. He had no idea when they would return home again. Hopeful the Crystal Gems would be able to resolve this crisis and things could then return to normal. But even now, Steven still wasn't entirely sure what this crisis actually was. Just as they were

Steven poked his head of van window, waving goodbye to the Crystal Gems, who were standing at the rafters of the Beach House watching as he and Greg slowly disappeared down the road. Jasper was leaning forward, her hands gripping the wooden railing, not even attempting a gesture of farewell. Peridot was waving her arms like crazy, with the biggest smile plastered over her face, while Lapis simply had her hand raised in the air, small, yet sad smile on her face. Once they were sure Steven was out of sight, Peridot lowered her arms, dropping her façade and appearing just as nerved racked as ever, taking a deep breath to steady herself again.

"We're not going to see him again, are we?" Lapis whispered, with a hollow sense of fatality, lowering her arm down.

"Of course we'll see Steven again!" Peridot exclaimed, sounding as determined as ever. "We can still do this!" Her face faltered slightly, as she took a huge gulp while glancing up at the gigantic sword in the sky still creeping its way toward them. "Despite the…. impossibly, terrifying, overwhelming odds against us. But this can't be the end….can it?"

"Nothing is over" Jasper said, her eyes focused sword in the sky; she spoke with the kind of confidence that only the defiant to the very end and even further beyond could invoke. "Not as long as we can still stand and fight. Now pull it together."

* * *

Steven sat in silence as his father drove out of town. By now the sun had gone down and the night sky was rolling in. In the distance, reflected by the passenger mirror, Steven could still see the black sword in the sky, appearing to be even larger than before as it drew closer and closer to the ground. Strangely, Steven felt as intrigued by it as much as he was terrified by it. He understood that Pearl and Amethyst were likely returning to cause even more trouble, but even with what was going on, a part of Steven still hoped it would all work out in the end.

"Maybe when Pearl and Amethyst come to the Earth, they'll see how nice all the people are and they won't want to hurt anyone." Steven said, voicing his thoughts aloud for Greg to hear.

Rather than sneer at his son's optimism, Greg just chuckled slightly and managed to force a genuine smile as he was reminded of the person who he loved the most. "Just like your mother."

"Yeah?" Steven said, turning to his father with interest.

Greg soon was brought out this pleasant moment of fantasy, as he was brought back down to reality once again. "Yeah. But these other Gems aren't like your mother" he said, firm and serious. "They aren't like Lapis, or Peridot or Jasper. They aren't gonna start caring about people now. They didn't the first time they..."

Greg immediately caught himself mid-sentence, realizing what he was about to say, but it was too late. The damage was done, and Steven's curiosity now was now in full effect.

"The first time they what?" he asked, not knowing what his father was referring to.

Greg was could feel a wave of panic starting to set in, quickly trying to think of a way of deflecting the question. "I mean, it was thousands of years ago!" he said. "It's not like I was there! The Gems should be telling you all this stuff, but I get it. I mean, they don't want you thinking of them like that!"

"Like what?" Steven asked, starting to get a little worried by his father's strange reaction. When he didn't reply, Steven knew something was wrong. "Dad, like what?"

Greg gulped, as sweat accumulate on his forehead. He looked more worried and nervously than Steven had ever seen him; he wasn't sure even sure if he was blinking. Greg's mouth began to quiver as though words were literally fighting to break free, until finally he snapped.

"Like aliens, Steven! Aliens who invaded Earth!

"What!?" Steven exclaimed, shocked, almost certain that he must have misheard his father.

"All they do is try to make up for it" Greg continued, now sounding slightly calmer. "They just can't forgive themselves, you understand? Look, they were doing something awful to the planet and your mother couldn't stand it anymore. She told me that's why she had to turn on her own kind. She gave up everything just to stop what they started here and drive the invading Gems off of Earth. "

Steven suddenly remembered the quiet conversations between Jasper, Lapis and Peridot. The increased secrecy, the way they evaded direct questions, the tension they had been trying to hide from him. Ever since Garnet appeared, something had changed. Steven didn't want to believe what his dad was saying to him, yet every word made perfect sense. Steven remembered the fight between Jasper and Peridot back in her old spaceship.

_"You could never understand unless you were here"_

It all sounded so horrible, but Steven couldn't believe it was that bad. There had to be some sliver lining to this story.

"So she saved the world. That's good!" Steven said, desperately. Whatever the other details were, Steven knew his mother had been the one to stop this conflict and knowing that his father would agree with him any moment now. But Greg closed his eyes and gave Steven a sympathetic yet grave look.

"No such thing as a good war, kiddo" he replied heavily, with no trace of humour or wit to mitigate the severity of that statement. "Gems were destroyed, people too. In the end, your mother could only save a handful of her closest friends. If it weren't for her shield, man, I don't know."

Greg trailed off, not wanting to complete that thought. He took a quick breath; despite the intensity if the last few minutes, he seemed to relax himself again. In fact Greg almost looked a little pleased with himself, having finally been able to speak freely on this subject in who knows long. But this feeling of contentment didn't last too long, as Greg took just one look at his son and saw that he was very obviously _not_ taking this news well. 

"But hey, let's look on the bright side!" Greg said, putting on a cheery smile. "We're gonna drive past that waffle place in a couple miles!

The last thing Steven could think about right now was waffles, no matter how delicious. All this time, he had no idea. No idea that the Gems had this dark and unpleasant history that they were keeping from him this whole time. He knew they had fought to protect the Earth, but this was different. Ever since the day Garnet had appeared, something had changed. This is why they are so afraid. History was about to repeat itself. And if what Greg said was true, the only reason they survived the last time was because of Rose's shield. Because of _his_ shield….

___"We gotta go back!" Steven said at once. "Turn the van around!_ _ _

___"No way, the Gems don't want you going back!" Greg said, keeping his eyes firmly set on the road in front of them, refusing to turn or slow down._ _ _

___"I know they're just trying to protect me, but I have to protect them!" Steven said, pulling up his shirt and showing Greg his gemstone. "I have Mom's shield, they need me!_ _ _

___"I need you too! " Greg snapped back._ _ _

___"Please Dad, what if they get hurt?" Steven said, tears beginning to appear his eyes. "Dad, turn around!" But Greg did not turn, refusing to even look Steven in the eye at this point_ _ _

___His words were falling on deaf ears. Greg was ignoring him completely. Steven couldn't understand how his father was trying to ignore him and keep from doing something so obviously important. Steven could feel something building inside him, something hot and burning. Something so intense that just made him what to scream as loud as he possible could until the windows shattered._ _ _

___He felt something very angry._ _ _

___"Dad, turn the van around, PLEASE!"_ _ _

___Without pause for thought, Steven gave into that burning feeling his stomach and literally punched the front of the van. Two things then happened at once. First there then came a very loud bang and popping sound as the airbag of the van deployed right into Steven's face. At the exact same moment as the airbag went off, Steven instinctively summoned his own pink bubble to act as shield around his body. The resulting collision between both the mad-made and mystical safety measure devices created enough force to literally blow Steven out of the passenger window of the van, sending him rolling down onto a ditch on the side of the road._ _ _

___Greg instantly pulled the van over at once, opening up the door and rushing down to the ditch to check that Steven was alright. Thankfully, due to his bubble, Steven appeared to be totally uninjured from the sudden crash landing. Greg approached Steven just as the bubble disappeared, holding his son by the shoulder to him steady him._ _ _

___"Dad, please. I have to go back. I have to!" Steven said, looking his father straight in the eye, tears now streaming down his face. "They don't have my shield, do you understand?"_ _ _

___Greg stared deeply at his son, wiping away one of his tears. There was something unspoken passing between the two of them. A sense of trust and faith that only a father and son could experience. Steven loved his father more anyone. Steven didn't want to have to leave him, but he also couldn't let Greg stop him from going back to the Crystal Gems when they needed him. Steven wanted more than anything for his father to understand why he had to do this. He couldn't leave until he was sure that his father understood. And being his father, Greg knew exactly what Steven wanted to hear from him right now._ _ _

___"Yeah, okay" Greg said, smiling warmly, finally giving in. He briefly squeezed his hand around Steven's arm. "Just be careful, or I'm gonna run fresh out of family._ _ _

___"Stay with everyone and keep them safe" Steven said, rising back to his feet. "I'll figure out some way to get back to Beach City."_ _ _

___Steven suddenly felt something big and soft press up against the back of his head. He turned and saw Lion standing right next to him. Where he came from or why he had just chosen now of all times to show up, Steven had no idea, and he was not about to question it._ _ _

___"Oh, this'll work!" he said, happily. Steven mounted on top of Lion who had kneelled down for Steven to climb up._ _ _

___Lion took off in a run, heading back toward Beach City. From here, Steven could see the giant sword had arrived and was now hovering right side up over the water, looming directly in front of the Temple. Steven just hoped it wasn't too late. But there was still one last thing he needed to do before he faced whatever was about to came next. Steven pulled out his phone and quickly dialled a number. There was no reply on the other end, instead just going to voicemail. Steven wasn't really sure if this was better, but he spoke, nonetheless._ _ _

___"Hey Connie, it's me"_ _ _

* * *

____10 minutes earlier_ _ _ _

___"Is it ready yet?" Jasper shouted, her voice carrying over the increasing sound of the wind._ _ _

___"Not yet" Peridot shouted back impatiently._ _ _

___"It's almost here!" Lapis stressed._ _ _

___"It's _almost_ ready"_ _ _

___"Peridot!"_ _ _

___Once Steven had departed, the three Crystal Gems had relocated down to the beach in front of the Temple. The giant black sword in the sky was now less mile away from them and closing in fast, no doubt about to make landfall in what could only be a matter of minutes. But if this was going to be their last stand, the Crystal Gems were certain to have a welcome prepared for it._ _ _

___Resting in the middle of the beach below the Beach house was a massive, green skinned finger, roughly the size of a train cart, made of a sleek metal that very obviously was not of this world. Peridot was standing next the finger, working diligently in front of an exposed panel on the underside of the finger, revealing a kind of computer terminal. Down at her feet were a series of wires running out from the terminal, connected to small green orb. The orb was cackling with green energy, as a power bar on the computer screen was slowly filling itself up._ _ _

___"I haven't used the main cannon from my ship since I crashed here" Peridot said. "But by adapting this old power unit, it should be able to generate enough energy to fire, but we'll only have enough for one shot."_ _ _

___"Then we make it count" Jasper shouted back, standing firm, looking directly at the tip of the sword approaching her without any fear. "Lapis, now!"_ _ _

___Taking a deep breath to focus herself, Lapis raised her arms up into the air; water from the surrounding ocean gathered onto the beach, coming toward the base of the massive green finger, and lifting it up into the air. The water began to expand and contorting, slowly taking on the shape of human shaped hand attached to the base of the green finger which acted in place of the missing index finger. With the finger now attached, Lapis stretched her right arm forward, raising her thumb upward and pointing her index finger at the oncoming sword like a gun; the giant water manifestation followed Lapis movement exactly, taking aim at the sword as well, the green index finger now pointed it at the ship, a huge orb of green energy began to forming at the fingertip as the cannon prepared to fire._ _ _

___Jasper remained where she was at the head of the beach, holding her ground unflinchingly, the wind rushing past her as black sword titled forward, slowly coming to a halt as it turned upright, the tip of the blade hovering above the surface of the water._ _ _

___"NOW!" Jasper screamed._ _ _

___Primed and ready, Peridot pressed her metal digit down on the icon of her finger-screen. The cannon fired, releasing a huge, powerful beam of energy. The water manifestation rippled violently as it withstood the recoil of the blast, Lapis using of her strength to hold it together._ _ _

___In the brief second before the beam struck against it, the sword suddenly rotated sideways, the edge of the blade now facing forward. The beam split in half as it struck the edge of the blade and veering off into two separate directions into the sky. With the cannon having fired its single shot, it powered down, the luminescent green colour turning dull and lifeless._ _ _

___A streak of light travelled down the length of the sword's edge and a second later it released a thin, curved wave of black coloured energy that cut through the air, slicing clean through the cannon. For a brief instant, the two halves of the cannon split apart from each other, before they both erupted into a massive green explosion that blew the water manifestation apart as well. Pieces of the cannon rained down on the beach ocean, followed by a brief shower of rain._ _ _

___"It's didn't work…" Lapis whispered, her voice almost shaking with disbelief._ _ _

___"Oh, this is not good" Peridot cried, clutching fistfuls of her hair, rapidly glancing back and forth between the ruins of her cannon and the gigantic sword that now loomed over them._ _ _

___"What…what do we do now?" Lapis asked loudly, now beginning to sound desperate as she looked at Jasper's back. "We've got to have another plan!"_ _ _

___But Jasper said nothing, as she continued to glare at the massive sword in front of her, as though she was trying to pull it down with sheer will. It was then Peridot cleared her throat in a seemingly loud manner, catching Lapis' attention._ _ _

___"Well, there is… one other alternative we haven't considered yet" she said._ _ _

___"What?" Lapis said, impatiently. "What else is there we can do?!"_ _ _

___Peridot briefly glanced down to the sand, before looking up at Lapis with a painful expression. She didn't want to say it, but she said it, nonetheless. "Maybe….if we had Malachite?"_ _ _

___Lapis eyes widened as soon as she heard that single, terrifying word. For a moment Lapis looked like she going to get angry at Peridot for even suggesting such a thing, but instead she sighed, relenting. Deep down she should have known this was going to be brought up. But even if they were out of options, Lapis honestly didn't know if she could do it again._ _ _

___"I-" she began._ _ _

___"No" Jasper said sharply, cutting Lapis off as both she and Peridot turn around to look at Jasper in surprise. "No fusion. We can't count on Malachite. Not this time"_ _ _

___Lapis shared another surprised look with Peridot; Jasper had never once turned down any opportunity for herself and Lapis to attempt fusion, and this might have been the best excuse she was ever going to get. And yet, she was the one refusing it this time, leaving Lapis at a loss for words._ _ _

___"Jasper, you really don't-?"_ _ _

___"I can handle this" Jasper said, without turning to Lapis, keeping her eyes focused on the ship hovering in front of them. "Whoever is in there, we take them out here on the ground and then take control of that ship. Now, quit you're whining and get ready. Here they come"_ _ _

___The three Gems now looked upwards to pommel of the sword as something was now happening. The exterior metal began to ripple like water as a black coated sphere emerged from the surface and floated down to the beach. The sphere rested on the sand, before it receded downward, seemingly dissolving into the sand and leaving two figures standing in its place. One of these the figures was Amethyst, her expression fierce with determination. And standing next to Amethyst was another familiar figure that the Crystal Gems were not expecting to see again._ _ _

___"You!" Jasper growling, pointing at an accusing finger at Garnet. "You lead them to us, didn't you?"_ _ _

___Garnet grimaced slightly at Jasper's words. Since the last time the Crystal Gems had seen Garnet, her colouring had changed, gaining more consistent purple, while having some random botches of blue and red in places. Her clothing was not much different except that she was now wearing some kind of visor over her face, covering up her three eyes._ _ _

___"She….I didn't have a choice!" Garnet cried after a moment's pause. "This was the only way for Ruby and Sapphire to be safe"_ _ _

___"Leave our planet alone" Lapis said, unfurling her wings, readying herself for battle._ _ _

___"All of you are gonna surrender to us right here and now" Amethyst said with an impressive display of confidence and authority as she stepped forward. "Or else this time, I won't go so easy on you"_ _ _

___Jasper threw her head back and let out a cruel chuckle. "Oh, that was you going _easy_ on us last time, huh?" she sneered, clearly far more amused than intimidated by Amethyst threat. Amethyst blushed slightly, looking embarrassed by the lack of an impression she had made. She was about to follow up with another quick retort, but Jasper didn't allow her that chance_ _ _

___"Tell me something. Who else you got up in that ship?" Jasper asked, glancing up to the pommel of the sword. "No overcooked runt like you would have their own Pearl or be put in charge of their own mission. So, who's really here looking for a fight? A Hessonite? An Emerald?"_ _ _

___Amethyst curled her lips in a snarl and shifted her feet in the sand as she glared fiercely at Jasper._ _ _

___"You don't have worry about anyone else" she growled in a low voice. "Because I'm taking the one who's gonna take you down!"_ _ _

___"Why are you still talking about it then?" Jasper said, unimpressed._ _ _

___With a furious battle cry, Amethyst charged forward, summoning her braided whip from her gemstone, while Garnet remained where she was._ _ _

___"Amethyst, wait!" she called after her. "We need to fight together!"_ _ _

___But Garnet's words were soon droned out as Amethyst let out another cry as she leapt up into the air, unfurling her whip, swinging it directly at Jasper's head._ _ _

___With a slightly bored expression, Jasper simply arched her neck backwards, avoiding the whip as past over her head. Unfortunately, neither Lapis nor Peridot were anywhere near as prepared just barely having enough time to move out of the way of the oncoming whip as it missed Jasper and came flying at the two of them instead, striking down at the sand where they had they been standing._ _ _

___Amethyst dropped back down to the sand, landing right behind Jasper. She turned about with a devilish grin on her face and raised her fists in the air, ready to fight but paused in surprise when she realized that Jasper hadn't turned around yet. Instead, Jasper formed her crash helmet on her head and charged forward at Garnet instead, who summoned her own two gauntlets to defend herself._ _ _

___For a moment it looked as though Amethyst was about to say something in protest at the fact that Jasper had ignored her completely, but she did not get the chance. Spotting something out of the corner of her eye, Amethyst jumped out of the way, narrowly dodging a green bolt of energy from Peridot's finger-cannon. Peridot fired her finger-cannon again, keeping Amethyst within her line of sight, but the small Quartz Gem somersaulted out of the way, moving as nimble as a cat._ _ _

___Lapis extended a watery arm out, trying to grab hold of Amethyst, but Amethyst ducked underneath her reach, dodging each of her attacks as well as another blast from Peridot, in an amazing display of agility, while occasionally flinging her whip back at Peridot and Lapis. As three Gems fought continued to trade blows, there came a loud booming sound from the other side of the beach as Jasper and Garnet collided with one another. Garnet's gauntlets struck against Jasper's crash helmet, the air vibrating around them from the force of their attacks as they pushed against each, neither of them able to gain an inch on the other. Finally, they broke apart and began to circle each one another, preparing to clash again at a moment's notice._ _ _

___Amethyst paused in the middle of her acrobatics and glanced over to where Jasper and Garnet were fighting with a look of anticipation, clearly expecting Jasper to cease her duel with Garnet and come to battle her any moment. But Jasper's focus was on nothing but Garnet, either oblivious or disinterested in the fight that was happening adjacent to them._ _ _

___"To tell you the truth, I've been hoping to get a rematch with you" Jasper said with relish, punching her right fist into her left palm, staring down Garnet, who raised her gauntlets in the air, looking equally ready for another bout._ _ _

___Amethyst watched this exchange, appearing dumbfounded, before her face contorted into a furious snarl. Refusing to be ignored any longer, Amethyst swung her arm forward and with a quick snap, wrapped the end of her whip around Garnet's waist before pulling her all the way back across the sand behind her._ _ _

___"Back off!" Amethyst shouted. "She's mine!"_ _ _

___"No, Amethyst, don't switch with me yet!" Garnet cried, but again Amethyst ignored Garnet's command and charged at Jasper, who merely dodged her attacks with the same ease as before._ _ _

___Garnet raised her left fist and the air around it beginning to sizzle as a red orb of heat formed around her knuckles, as she prepared to rush in after Amethyst, just as bubble of water surrounded Garnet's fist, dousing out the fire. Garnet glanced over her shoulder to see Lapis with her arms extended forward with a look of concentration on her face as she held the bubble around Garnet's fist. Garnet's right fist turned to bright blue ice, intending to freeze the water, when Peridot's tractor beam wrapped around the fist, pulling it back._ _ _

___Garnet struggled against the individual bindings that Lapis and Peridot managed to entrap her with, unable to shake her hands free. Finally Garnet stopped struggling and began still. The gauntlets on her hands slowly to grow in size until they were at least three times their original size, popping both the water bubble and tractor beam. Garnet slammed her newly sized gauntlets together, producing a powerful shockwave in the air that knocked both Lapis and Peridot off their feet, but they didn't stay down for long as they jumped back into the fray within seconds, while Jasper and Amethyst continued their own fight. Amethyst tucked her head between her legs and spun her body fast like a buzz saw, firing herself at Jasper, who swatted her away with the back of her hand. Yet this did not deter Amethyst as she immediately got back up and attack again, only to end with the exact same result of Jasper knocking her back._ _ _

___The battle had become so chaotic that no one noticed the small pink portal that opened under the base of the Temple, out of which appeared Steven riding Lion. It took a handful of seconds for Steven to try and get a grasp of the situation he was seeing, unsure to call attention to first: the giant sword standing over the water or the fact Garnet was back. The only certain thing was that everyone was fighting again, and he had to do something before anyone got hurt._ _ _

___"Thanks Lion" Steven said, dismounting the big cat, who curled up on the sand, now looking tired. "You stay here. If something goes wrong, Dad's gonna need a new son"_ _ _

___Patting Lion on the head, Steven ran down the beach toward the battle, not entirely what he was going to have do, only knowing that he had to find some way of stopping this. Garnet had just stunned Lapis using a short burst of electricity from her gauntlets. She then knocked Peridot to the ground with a strong right hand. Once that she down, Garnet took the chance to move in, pulling her gauntlet back and about to strike Peridot._ _ _

___"STOP!"_ _ _

___Garnet's fist could have been no more than an inch away from Steven's face as she halted her attack at the exact moment that he placed himself in front of Peridot._ _ _

___"Steven!" Peridot and Garnet cried in unison._ _ _

___"Steven?!" Lapis said, looking up in shock. Jasper had just knocked Amethyst back once again as she turned around, her fierce eyes wide with surprise at the sight of Steven._ _ _

___"Sapphire! I mean, Ruby, I-I-I mean Garnet!" Steven stuttered, holding his hands up a peaceful gesture as he approached the Fusion. "Please, stop. Why are you doing this?"_ _ _

___Garnet started backing away, shaking as though she were afraid of Steven, struggling to find the words to explain herself. "I-I-I…we…we don't have a choice, Steven."_ _ _

___"Of course you have a choice!" Steven said, moving closer to her. "It doesn't have to be like this"_ _ _

___"Yes, it does" Garnet stressed, now sounding terrified. "You don't understand Steven, this….this is the only way I can exist, that we can be together. By fighting, by using our combined strength. Homeworld will never let us stay fused unless it's to fulfil a purpose"_ _ _

___"But that's a horrible reason to stay fused" Steven said, appalled. "I thought Ruby and Sapphire just wanted to be together. You said you were made out of love, right? But this isn't love"_ _ _

___"No…" Garnet whispered, placing her hands on either side of head as tears began to stream down from within her visor. "No, no, no…" . She continued to moan in despair as she fell to her knees. In a moment her body was transformed into pure light and split into two smaller fragments, each taking on a separate form that Steven quickly recognised as both Ruby and Sapphire._ _ _

___"What's wrong?" Ruby said, immediately rushing next to Sapphire. "I can't….you…."_ _ _

___"We can't do it anymore" Sapphire whispered, falling to her knees, grabbing fistfuls of her own hair as a single large tear trailing down the middle of her face. "I don't want this. Don't you see? It's not worth it"_ _ _

___"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" Ruby cried, tears now forming in her own eyes as well, as she began to smack her palms to her forehead in frustration. "I just thought I was doing what was best for you after everything you went through to find me again. I didn't want you to feel like it was for nothing"_ _ _

___"It wasn't for nothing." Sapphire replied, turning away from Ruby, refusing to look at her. "But it wasn't for this either"_ _ _

___Ruby's eyes began to water, her lower lip quivering as she hugged her arms around herself, looking heartbroken and ashamed. Steven wasn't entirely sure if he would call this situation a success, but it didn't appear as though Ruby or Sapphire any intention of continuing to fight for the moment._ _ _

___"Steven, why did you come back?" Lapis asked, suddenly appearing next to him and grabbing him at the shoulders. "You have to get out of here!"_ _ _

___"See, I knew we'd see Steven again" Peridot said, as always refusing to pass up any opportunity to express her correctness._ _ _

___"I'm Crystal Gem too!" Steven said, pulling away from Lapis. "This is my home. Dad told me all about that stuff about the war and how Homeworld was trying to do something bad here. I don't really get what this is about, but whatever this is, I'm a part of it too. I won't leave you guys."_ _ _

___"Steven, you can't be here this time!" Lapis said, shaking her head. "This is too-"_ _ _

___"Forget it". Everyone turned their heads toward Jasper. She was looking at Steven with an amused, slightly proud smirk. "You really are just like her, huh? She couldn't stay away even if she wanted to"_ _ _

___"Hey!" There was a cracking sound in the air as the end of a whip suddenly smacked against the back of Jasper's head. Without so much as flinching, Jasper turned around, looking as irritated as if a bee had just stung her. Amethyst, now looking battered and furious, snapped her whip against the ground again._ _ _

___"Don't turn your back on me!" Amethyst swung her whip again, but this time Jasper caught it in her hand, stopping it dead in its track. Amethyst angry face suddenly dropped into an expression of surprise and fear._ _ _

___"You want my full attention, runt?" Jasper said, twirling the whip between her fingers._ _ _

___With a mighty tug, Jasper pulled the whip forward, literally dragging Amethyst's feet through the sand until she was standing directly under Jasper; somehow Amethyst appeared even smaller than before._ _ _

___"Alright, now you've got it!"_ _ _

___Jasper reached down and clasped her entire hand around Amethyst head, lifting her off the ground, her tiny legs kicking in the air as she screamed, struggling to break free._ _ _

___"Let me make something clear to you" Jasper said, leaning in close, speaking in voice so cold and fierce that Amethyst ceased her screaming and froze up in fear. "I'm the strongest Gem on this planet. This whole planet is my turf, my territory! Any Gem that wants to mess with the Earth has to come through me to do it!"_ _ _

___Jasper pulled her arm back and punched Amethyst clear in the chest, just inches below her gemstone, sending her flying back across the beach, smashing down to the ground. Amethyst had only just barely managed to stand up again, when Jasper kicked her hard in the stomach, knocking her back once again._ _ _

___"Jasper, stop please!" Steven cried, rushing forward._ _ _

___But Jasper had no intention of stopping, as she grabbed Amethyst by helm of her shirt and picked her up once again. Amethyst could only give one last look of hatred and defiance at Jasper, before Jasper delivered a power headbutt her in face, this time sending Amethyst flying so far back that she landed at the very edge of the beach, under the shadow of the hovering sword._ _ _

___"Do yourself a favour and stay down!" Jasper shouted._ _ _

___"Jasper, stop, that's enough!" Steven begged, grabbing Jasper by her hand, feebly pulling at her arm. He may not have known Amethyst very well, but Steven couldn't bear to see Jasper hurt her like this. However, Steven stopped pulling when he noticed that Jasper's hand was shaking. Surprised, he glanced up to Jasper's face; her teeth were clenched, her lower jaw trembling. Steven had seen that kind of reaction from Jasper before and it usually would denote anger, but when Jasper spoke again, he realized she wasn't angry; she was desperate._ _ _

___"Please…..just stay down" Jasper whispered, for once in her life wishing she didn't have to throw another punch. She didn't seem to notice that her crash helmet disappeared off her head._ _ _

___But despite the brutal beating she had received, Amethyst had no intention of standing down, even if her body disagreed with her. She groaned painfully as she once again tried to raise to her feet, but her legs seem to give up on her and she collapsed down to her knees. Tears began to fill Amethyst eyes as she slammed her fist down in the sand in a bout of frustration, muttering to herself, sounding close to delirious_ _ _

___"Can't stop, this is my chance. Have to keep fighting, I have to….have to show them I'm….I'm not…"_ _ _

____"That's enough, Amethyst"_ _ _ _

___Amethyst let out a sudden, terrified gasp, whipping her head around to the sword that was towering over them. Everyone else on the beach froze as they all had just heard that same loud, booming voice, coming from the ship._ _ _

___"Oh no" Sapphire whispered, now sounding frightened, covering her hands over her mouth._ _ _

___"What is it?" Ruby asked, sounding very worried as she hovered over Sapphire. "What did you see?!"_ _ _

___The Crystal Gems quickly huddled together once, forming up in front of Steven, who arched his head up to the giant sword, trying to see what was about to happen next. Near the top of the sword, the pommel began to ripple once more, becoming fluid-like as another black orb emerged from the surface, slowly descending down to the beach. Just as the first one did, the orb melted away, dissolving into nothingness, revealing another pair of Gems. The first one being Pearl, her head hanging low and her hands neatly folded at her waist as she stood in silence next to the second, mysterious figure._ _ _

___The unknown figure was another Gem, that much was obvious, but not one that Steven had ever seen before. They were tall, appearing roughly the same height as Jasper. But unlike Jasper, they were not as bulkier or stocky. Instead, their body was thin, yet it was not lacky in anyway, but rather lean and well-toned, with the right amount of muscular to appear intimidating. The skin on their face was a kind of ash grey colour, while their hair was inky black and tied back into a small, round bump near the back of their head._ _ _

___The clothing they wore appeared to be a mixture of black and dark purple, with wrist length gloves over their hands and a cloak that hung over their left shoulder, concealing their left arm. A black, round gemstone was displayed just below the naval area and just above waistline, appearing almost like an extravagant belt buckle._ _ _

___The Gem expression was mostly impassive, neither smiling nor scowling. Their face was round, slightly angular along the lower jaw and chin. Their eyes were also black in colour, small and almond shaped, yet even from a distance there was a kind of intensity about them, a sort of powerful focus; they looked like the eyes of a hawk waiting patiently for any sign of its prey. Beyond that there wasn't anything else particularly noteworthy about their facial features, other than they might have given the impression of youth, despite the fact Gems had no true age._ _ _

___The unknown Gem did not say anything, only to cast a brief look over their shoulder to where Amethyst was lying. With sudden burst of energy that seemed to instantly abolish her fatigue, Amethyst jumped her feet, ran over and stood at attention in front of the unknown Gem, like a trained soldier before their general. The unknown Gem then looked in the direction of Ruby and Sapphire, and raised their right hand, making beckoning gesture with their two fingers, obviously signalling them to come forward. Without wasting a single second, Ruby and Sapphire all rushed over to stand before the unknown Gem alongside Amethyst._ _ _

___Amethyst stepped forward, obviously wanting to get the first word in both anyone else did. "Ok, I know what this looks like, but just me give another chance and I swear I can still-"_ _ _

___Before Amethyst could finish, the unknown Gem reached inside of their cloak and pulled out what appeared to be some kind of metallic fork attached to the end of a handle. Amethyst fell silent instantly, looking at the strange fork with dread._ _ _

___"I ordered you to take the Gem destabilizer with you. You did not take it" the unknown Gem said. Their voice was soft, articulate and controlled, yet there was an unmistakable note of cold anger behind it that needed no higher pitch to emphasize the strength and authority it carried. "Why did you not take it?"_ _ _

___Amethyst gulped, looking down to the ground as she muttered out a very feeble answer. "I thought…. I didn't need it"_ _ _

___"I see" the unknown Gem replied after a brief pause. They dropped the fork down at Amethyst feet. "Then it seems you overestimated yourself as much as did I. We'll discuss this later. And as for you two" the Gem continued, turning their head in the direction of Ruby and Sapphire; Ruby instantly threw herself, arms spread, in front of Sapphire who cowered behind her._ _ _

___"When I found you two in that strange form, you were able to convince me that you could be useful to this mission. And when you told me where the location of the Gem base was on this planet, I offered you the chance to prove yourselves. But instead all you have proven yourselves as a complete embarrassment and disgrace." The Gem shook their head, looking disappointed. "I should have known better than to allow this"_ _ _

___"Please, it was my fault!" Ruby said. "Punish me, not Sapphire"_ _ _

___"I will deal with the two of you later. But for now, you will both stay out of the way. And so, will you" The unknown Gem cast another dark glare at Amethyst again. The unknown Gem then sighed and shook their head again. "It would seem the only Gem here I can truly rely on is Pearl". Behind them, Pearl raised her head slightly at the mention of her name, appearing neither pleased nor ashamed. "Still, it doesn't matter. I will handle this now"_ _ _

___Steven and the Crystal Gems watched this exchange from their side of the beach, taking the moment to recollect themselves. None of the Crystal Gems knew what to make of this new Gem, but they were very much expecting another fight, nonetheless. Steven himself felt he had even less understanding of what was happening, still feeling like he was locked out of some kind of loop. He didn't know who this unknown Gem was or what they wanted with them. The only thing that he could tell was that whoever this Gem was, Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst and even Pearl seemed to be afraid of them._ _ _

___"So, you're the one behind all this?" Jasper said, addressing the unknown Gem directly. "Who are you and what do you want?"_ _ _

___The Gem stepped forward and opened their mouth, preparing to speak, but they were instantly cut off by Pearl, who very quickly rushed front of them._ _ _

___"He is Black Onyx" she declared, very loud and boldly. "The Supreme Protector of all of Homeworld"_ _ _

___"Black Onyx, huh?" Jasper said, smirking at the Gem with a growing sense of bloodlust._ _ _

___"Protector?" Lapis whispered, with a hint of trepidation in her voice._ _ _

___"…..He?" Peridot said, arching an eyebrow in confusion._ _ _

___With a slight grunt, the aforementioned Black Onyx gently nudged Pearl out of his path with the back of his hand. If he was angry at her sudden interruption, he did now show it, as he simply walked past her and stood opposite the Crystal Gems._ _ _

___"So, this is what remains of the so-called Crystal Gems" Onyx continued, crossing his arms, running his eyes over each member of the party as if trying to apprise them. "Quite an intriguing group. The legendary, perfect Quartz solider, Jasper" he said, while taking particular note of Jasper, who let out a slight low growl in response._ _ _

___"The infamous Lapis Lazuli" he added cryptically, earning himself an angry glare from Lapis._ _ _

___"Peridot, Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG" Onyx said without missing a beat, which caused Peridot's to let out a small whimpering sound, looking particularly vulnerable._ _ _

___"And…" Onyx paused when he finally noticed Steven, hiding behind Jasper's legs, briefly regarding him with a look of incomprehension. "What is that thing?"_ _ _

___"He's nothing, he's just a human!" Sapphire shouted immediately from behind. Onyx briefly turned his head to look back at Sapphire as she spoke. "He…he won't be any trouble"_ _ _

___"This isn't a Gem controlled planet" Peridot said, doing her best to try and hide the fear in her voice as she spoke. "You h-have no business here!"_ _ _

___"Get off our planet now!" Lapis snapped angrily. Her voice then dropped to a low and far more dangerous sounding whisper as she punctuated each word. "Before we _make_ you!"_ _ _

___Onyx did not appear the least bit intimidated or even interested in Lapis threat, as he rubbed his hand underneath his chin, looking to be more preoccupied with his own thoughts more than anything else._ _ _

___"I really must confess" he said, briefly glancing up to the sky and back down to the Crystal Gems. "When I discovered that someone or something from a supposedly _dead_ planet had been destroying my Hexahetrons, I was admittedly…concerned. I'm not unaccustomed to setbacks, but I don't like unknowns. That's why I sent my Pearl and Amethyst back to this planet for further investigation, to try and discover what was causing these disruptions." Onyx made a brief gesture his hand, indicating toward Pearl and Amethyst behind him, neither of them looking the least bit appreciative at being mentioned by name._ _ _

___"Imagine my surprise when they came back and told me that a regiment of the Rebellion had somehow managed to survive and has been in hiding here in secret for the past 5000 years. Oh yes, I was concerned. But there was still one thing I needed to verify before we could continue with our original mission. And despite this debacle, I have learned exactly what I needed to know. Rose Quartz is dead"_ _ _

___Jasper, Lapis and Peridot each shared a surprised and concerned look with one another at Onyx unexpected statement. Steven gulped, feeling even more uneasy than before at the mention of his mother._ _ _

___"The true purpose of this assault was to draw the leader of the Crystal Gems, Rose Quartz, out into the open" Onyx continued. "Every report I have ever read and every story I have heard from every Gem who was involved with this planet, led me to conclude that Rose Quartz was no coward, nor would she needless risk the lives of her fellow Gems in battle at her own expense. And yet, she did not appear to aide you. I can now safely conclude that Rose Quartz is gone"_ _ _

___Now beginning to understand the circumstances a bit better, Peridot let out an optimistic smile, deciding to test her luck. "So that means you'll leave and never come back?"_ _ _

___"Yes, we will leave" Onyx replied flatly. Peridot broke into a wide smile, feeling an immense sense of victory._ _ _

___"….Once our mission is completed". Peridot dropped her smile, now feeling a much more familiar sense of disappointment._ _ _

___"What's this mission of yours?" Jasper demanded. "What do you want with the Earth now?"_ _ _

___"Even if I told you, it would make no difference. We will finish our task here, but I have had my fill of your interference. And at the very least, I cannot allow the two of _you_ to roam about unchecked" Onyx said, pointing a finger specifically in the direction of both Jasper and Lapis. "I will put an end to this most promptly"_ _ _

___Onyx lowered his right hand to his gemstone which began to release bright, white glow. Within that light, a black coated pommel, handle and cross guard became to materialize. Onyx gripped the handle with his hand and in a single, swift motion, he pulled his weapon free from his gemstone and swung his arm out wide; in his right hand he now held a massive double-edge black broadsword, that looked to be width of a chest and three times the length of an arm. It was black in colour, glistening with a dark brilliance, that made it appear opaque and imperishable. But the most noticeable feature of the sword was that looked identical in shape to the giant ship that was still hovering behind them._ _ _

___There was sudden loud whirling noise, as the ship came to live again as it slowly started to rotate itself right side upwards until it was pointing at a 90-degree angle, matching the pose Onyx was holding his sword in. Onyx then gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and shifted his legs out wide as he took up a stance in the sand. Holding his arms out forward, Onyx slowly raised the sword up past his head as if preparing to swing down. Behind him, the ship followed the same pattern, pulling itself backwards, ready to come down upon the Crystal Gems like an executioner's blade_ _ _

___"Steven get out of here, now!" Jasper ordered, taking up position in front of the group as though she was prepared to take the brunt of the attack herself, while Peridot and Lapis looked to be paralyzed in fear, unable to move._ _ _

___"No, this is my home!" Steven said, still refusing to abandon the Gems. "I'm Crystal Gem too!"_ _ _

___"Steven, wait!" Peridot cried._ _ _

___Without warning, Steven broke away from Peridot and rushed forward in front of Jasper, nothing but the thought of protecting everything he that he loved motivating him to do what needed to be done as he braced himself, hoping that this would work._ _ _

___Like a clap of thunder, the great sword came down upon the Crystal Gems, shaking the land, the sea and even the sky as the clouds above disappeared from the force of the impact as the sword struck against something solid. Underneath the giant blade, Steven was standing with his arms out wide, unharmed and his gemstone exposed. The second before the sword had struck, he had managed to summon a massive pink shield that was almost equal in proportion to the size of the sword, stopping it dead in tracks before it could hurt him or the Crystal Gems, who were staring at the giant shield with stunned amazement._ _ _

___Across the beach, Onyx eyes widened as he appeared genuinely surprised for the first since he had arrived, staring up in disbelief at the great pink shield that had thwarted his attack. He flung his arm back; the ship broke away from shield and returned to its original upright position in the sky. From behind Onyx, Ruby and Sapphire were still holding onto one another, both of them looking to be a mixture of shocked and amazed by what had just transpired._ _ _

___"Whoa!" Amethyst whispered in awe, her eyes glistening at the sight of the pink shield, which have may been the most incredible sight she had ever seen in life._ _ _

___But Pearl on the other hand, appeared to have become a living statue, looking at the massive pink shield as though it were something straight out of a personal nightmare. Moving slowly, she raised both of her hands to her face and place them over her mouth, as tears slowly started to trail down from her cheeks._ _ _

___After another few moments, the pink shield slowly began shrink down back toward Steven, until it final disappeared in a small bundle of glittering lights. Seeing that they were safe and in still in one piece, Steven collapsed to his knees, feeling more exhausted than he could ever remember, never having made a shield that big before. For a moment, maybe he thought he should feel proud of himself, but that would have to be sometime after the ground stopped spinning below him._ _ _

___Lapis and Peridot quickly rushed to either side of Steven, checking for his health as he collapsed into the former's arms, while Jasper remained in front of the group like a sentinel, ready to stop anyone from coming near._ _ _

___On the other side of the beach, Onyx was staring down at his sword, his brow furrowed as he examined the blade with a contemplative look, as though he was trying to discern some kind of trickery. After a moment, he pulled his eyes away from his sword and directly onto Steven, now giving the young boy his full and undivided attention._ _ _

___"You said that thing was a human" Onyx said, abruptly turning to glare accusingly at Sapphire._ _ _

___"H-h-he is!" Sapphire replied shakily, nodding her head as fast as possible. "He's just a human"_ _ _

___"Then how does a human have the power of a Gem?" Onyx demanded, causing Sapphire to flinch fearfully as Ruby placed herself in front Sapphire once again, hoping to shield her from Onyx wraith however she could. Onyx then turned to Amethyst, who was still watching the Crystal Gems with her mouth agape._ _ _

___"Did you know?" Onyx asked._ _ _

___"Huh?" Amethyst asked, startled, turning to Onyx as though she had forgotten entirely about his presence._ _ _

___"Do not play games with me, Amethyst!" Onyx snapped impatiently, brandishing his hand in the direction of the Crystal Gems. "Did you know about this?"_ _ _

___"I-I-I didn't know anything, I swear!" Amethyst said, coming out of her daze at once. "I thought he was human too. I mean he looks just like one"_ _ _

___Though he didn't appear fully satisfied, Onyx did nor pry Amethyst any further as he turned to the only Gem he had yet to ask. Pearl was still standing completely frozen in place, her hands still covering her mouth. Onyx eyed her with suspicion, knowing immediately that something was off about her reaction._ _ _

___"Pearl, have you something you want to say?" Onyx asked._ _ _

___Pearl did not lower her hands from her mouth to answer him. Instead she closed her eyes and let out a small whimper as though she was in pain. Narrowing his eyes, Onyx stepped closer to Pearl._ _ _

___"Pearl, have you seen that shield before?" he asked in a low voice._ _ _

___Moving as though she was straining herself, Pearl slowly pulled her hands from her mouth and spoke in a barely audible whisper. "Y-yes"_ _ _

___Onyx took another step closer, now practically hovering directly over Pearl, yet she refused to look him in the eye. Moving slowly, Onyx calmly placed his hand on Pearl's cheek and with no obvious effort, he lifted her head up to face his._ _ _

___" _Whose_ shield is that?" Onyx asked, looking her dead in the eye._ _ _

___Pearl shut her eyes as more tears ran down her face, her body trembling as the words came without her realizing it. "That is…. the shield of… Rose Quartz"_ _ _

___Onyx released Pearl, who backed from him away at once. For a moment, Onyx closed his eyes, appearing to be in deep concentration._ _ _

___"I see. Very, very clever". Onyx opened his eyes again and turned back to face the Crystal Gems who still remained in the exact same spot, once again not having nearly enough time to formulate any sort of feasible plan to get themselves out their current situation._ _ _

___"So you are as devious as they say, Rose Quartz" Onyx said, now looking directly at Steven. "I never considered the possibility that you would disguise yourself as a human. That was careless of me. You might have actually slipped away. But now there is no more hiding, Rose Quartz"_ _ _

___"Please, just forget about them" Sapphire pleaded, breaking away from Ruby and moving up next Onyx. "They're not a threat to Homeworld. And the Cluster is-"_ _ _

___"The Cluster is no longer a priority" Onyx replied curtly, raising a hand up to silence Sapphire. "The mission has changed. This is a matter for the Diamonds now. We will take Rose Quartz back with us"_ _ _

___"You're not taking anyone, anywhere!" Jasper said, taking a step forward. "I'm gonna warn you one last time. Get back in your ship and get off our planet. Or else"_ _ _

___Onyx stared at Jasper with an impassive expression. He flipped his sword upside down and thrust the tip of it into the sand, allowing it to stand in place, before he too step forward._ _ _

___"You do not want to fight me" Onyx said, slowly shaking his head; there was no hint of boast or taunt in his voice. It was as though he was stating a simple fact._ _ _

___Jasper smirked darkly and cracked her knuckles together, knowing that this was only going to be resolved one way; the only way that Jasper wanted it to be resolved._ _ _

___"You don't know me very well"_ _ _

___Summoning her crash helmet again, Jasper launched off the ground in burst of orange fire, flying toward Onyx at a breakneck speed like a comet. Onyx made no attempt to run or dodge the oncoming attack. Instead he simply raised his palm in the air and held his ground as Jasper collided into him. There was another powerful explosion and a resounding shockwave that knocked Amethyst, Pearl, Ruby and Sapphire clean off their feet and sprawling onto the sand._ _ _

___But when the smoke cleared, Onyx was still standing in the same spot, not having moved so much as an inch; with just the palm of his hand, Onyx caught had Jasper's helmet, bringing her to a complete stop in the middle of the air. Jasper dropped back to her two feet and swung her right fist directly at Onyx face, but he swiftly caught her fist with his other free hand._ _ _

___Jasper snarled at Onyx and started to push her body forward, trying to overpower him, but to her surprise, Jasper soon realized that she wasn't able to move forward at all. In fact, it was quite the reverse; she could feel herself slowly being pushed back. Growing frustrated yet no less determined, Jasper doubled her efforts, her right arm beginning to shake as her fist pushed harder against Onyx palm. But aside from a slight tremble in his shoulder, Onyx did not waver under Jasper's strength, keeping his grip on her hand and helmet, holding his stance as if she was no more than a child trying to push him over._ _ _

___"I know about you" Onyx said. "They say you were the most perfect Quartz solider ever created. And from what I can tell, they were obviously underestimating you. You are without a doubt the finest Quartz I have ever seen."_ _ _

___"Spare me….your sarcasm!" Jasper growled furiously._ _ _

___Onyx raised an eyebrow, looking sincerely bewildered. "What's sarcasm?"_ _ _

___Letting out another angry growl, Jasper reached up and grabbed Onyx wrist with her free hand, trying to pry his grip off of her helmet, but his arm did not budge no matter how hard she pulled. Shaking, Jasper could feel Onyx pushing down even harder on her helmet, the pressure gradually building like nothing she had ever felt before, sweat accumulating on her brow as she struggled to keep her head up straight. Then, in a split second, the visor on her helmet cracked and there was a loud snapping sound followed by a small puff of smoke around Jasper's head as her crash helmet was crushed into vapour. Her head protector gone, Onyx thrust his hand forward and wrapped his entire palm around Jasper's forehead, his fingers as they dug painfully into her scalp._ _ _

___Onyx released his hold on Jasper's fist, letting his arm drop to his side as he pushed down even harder on Jasper, now keeping her at bay with only one arm. Jasper desperately clawed at his arm with both her hands, trying to break free but to no avail. After a long struggle, Jasper let out a loud bellow as the pain around her head was becoming too great to bear, taking a knee down onto the sand, feeling like her head was about to be crushed like a grape._ _ _

___From behind Onyx, Amethyst slowly rose back to her feet watched with an expression of horror as Jasper was pushed down even further now resting on both of knees at Onyx's feet as though she was all but begging him for mercy; there was no better revenge that Amethyst could have asked for and yet this sight did nothing but sicken her, wincing as Jasper let out another painful cry._ _ _

___"You might have been made to be perfect". Onyx raised his arm up and literally hoisted Jasper up off her feet, dangling her in the air. Behind him, Amethyst's eyes now swelled with tears, her expression turning to both terror and guilt._ _ _

___"But I was made to be _better_ than perfect"._ _ _

___Jasper's single, visible eye, peering out from between Onyx's fingers widened in horror, as she knew what was about to happen next and knew she could do nothing to stop it_ _ _

___Onyx curled his right hand into a fist and in one powerful stroke, punched Jasper directly in the chest. The impact was like a miniature sonic boom and Jasper's body was sent flying through the air like a cannon ball across the beach right over the heads of Steven, Peridot and Lapis, until she crashed right into the side of the cliff near the Temple, creating a massive fissure along the rock._ _ _

___Steven gaped in shock, completely stupefied by what had just happened. He had never seen Jasper get beaten so easy and unceremoniously before, not even against Garnet. All his life, Steven had known Jasper to be the greatest warrior alive. As long as they had her, it never felt hopeless. And something very terrible inside of Steven was telling him Jasper wasn't getting back up again any time soon._ _ _

___With their team leader now seemingly out of commission, Peridot and Lapis slowly turned back around to face Black Onyx, who did not appear to have so much as broken a sweat yet. With the same blank expression as before, Onyx cracked his knuckles together and slowly started making his way toward Steven and the Crystal Gems._ _ _

___"Steven, RUN!" Peridot cried, forming her fingers into her cannon, just as Lapis sprouted her water wings and took off into the air. Peridot fired three consecutive shots at Onyx, who easily dodged each attack, moving in like a blur as he sped across beach. Before Peridot could fire her fourth shot, Onyx appeared directly in front of her, holding his open palm over her cannon. In an instant, a mass of black coloured energy, a kind of shadowy smoke, appeared from Onyx palm, releasing a wave of darkness that blasted Peridot like a powerful gust of wind with ten times the force._ _ _

___"Peridot!" Steven cried in horror, watching as she crashed down to the ground again._ _ _

___Before Steven could rush to her aide, Onyx raised his palm in Steven's direction and preparing another wave of the same black energy, but then suddenly paused in his attack when a chain made out of water clasped onto his wrist. A second later, a dozen more chains shot out from every direction, latching onto his arms, legs and neck. Onyx made no attempt to more or struggle against the chains covering his body. Instead he just stared at the bindings with a mild, unconcerned look of curiosity. He then glanced to the sky, watching Lapis who was hovering above, her arms outstretched._ _ _

___Four massive arms of water emerged from out of the surrounding ocean, two on either side of the beach. Lapis threw her hands forward, as the four slammed down on top of Onyx, one by one, trapping him underneath the water. Lapis smiled to herself, keeping as much pressure on as possible, making sure nothing could possibly get up from that._ _ _

___For a moment, Steven thought it was over, but then a saw strange shadowy mass forming inside of the water, which began to ripple violently as if there was some great fire was burning inside. The shadowy mass grew larger, the water manifestations non contorting widely as Lapis tried to keep hold of them, until finally the mass of water was blown apart like a huge bubble, the droplets evaporating in the air._ _ _

___Onyx was still standing in the same spot, looking superbly dry, wisps of shadowy mist disappearing around him. Looking up to Lapis again, Onyx raised his right hand and pointed two fingers up at her. A shroud of dark energy began to surround around Lapis' body, like a kind of cloak, much to her shock and confusion. Onyx then flicked his two fingers, pointing them downwards. Before Lapis could either attack or run, her entire body was sent hurtling down to the ground faster than a bullet, as though someone had just tied an impossible heavy weight around her neck. Lapis hit the ground hard, the impact creating a small crater in middle of the beach. She struggled to push herself back up, but the same black shroud was still engulfing her body, keeping her pinned down, as she was unable to even lift her head up._ _ _

___"Lapis, no!" Steven cried. Scrambling back to his feet, Steven ran toward the crater as fast as he could, hoping that he could help her. But the moment Steven had started to run, Onyx thrust his palm in his direction, the same black energy glowing around his hand and a second latter, Steven was blasted off his feet by the same dark-coated shockwave that took out Peridot._ _ _

___Steven rolled along the sand as he landed, coughed slightly as he tried to catch his breath. He had no idea what had just hit him. The only thing he knew for certain was that it hurt. It hurt a lot. But he also knew that he couldn't let that stop him. Lapis was still in trouble and needed his help. With extreme difficulty, Steven rose back to his feet again, forgetting about his own pain as he slowly began to hobble his way toward Lapis, but his legs soon became like jelly, giving way under his weight. Nevertheless, he had to get to Lapis, even if it meant crawling his way there._ _ _

___Onyx silently watched this display from afar; for a moment, he stood in a brief, defensive stance, clearly having been expecting something to happen, a counterattack or some impressive display of power on Steven's part. He had been expecting a _real_ fight. Yet all he saw Steven do was continue to crawl his hands and knees in a pitiful manner, moving toward his incapacitated ally._ _ _

___"Is that… it?" Onyx said, with a barely restrained note of disbelief in his voice. In single motion, Onyx jumped into the air and landed on the ground in front of Steven, with enough force to knock him back again. Coughing, Steven stared up at Onyx who towered him, glaring back at Steven with a look of contempt and disappointment._ _ _

___" _This_ is the best you can do?!"_ _ _

___Steven glanced around Onyx to where Lapis was lying. He couldn't reach her. Not unless he got past Onyx first. Steven didn't know what else to do, but he had to help his friends. He had no other choice. One way or the other he had to help them._ _ _

___Straining himself, Steven began to lift himself back to his feet, clenching his fists and tried to take up a fighting stance, focusing with all his might on summoning back his shield which briefly flickered over his arm, yet it could not maintain its form._ _ _

___Onyx watched this desperate endeavour of resistance with an expression of apathy, making no attempt to interfere with Steven as he struggled to both stand and summon his shield._ _ _

___"You know, I can't help but marvel at the irony of this." he said, as Steven wobbled on his feet, nearly losing his footing once again. "For a moment there, I actually believed I was going to face the Rose Quartz, Homeworld's single greatest enemy. I honestly wasn't even sure if I could defeat you or not. But now that I've seen you, in such a weak, pathetic and useless form, I really must confess"_ _ _

___Onyx expression turned to a deep scowl as he raised his palm out at Steven. "I am _not_ impressed."_ _ _

___There was another dark shockwave, and Steven was knocked back several feet across the beach, where he landed flat on his back right next to Peridot's fallen form. Steven coughed again, feeling his head beginning to spin even more violently, his vision starting to get dim as he stared up to the starry night sky. His right eye seemed particularly sore. Onyx's face then entered Steven's field of vision once again, his hand reaching down and grabbing him by the front of his shirt, hosting him up into the air._ _ _

___"How could someone like you have possibly defeated a Diamond?" Onyx asked._ _ _

___Steven groaned painfully. He had no idea what Onyx was talking about. He had no idea why a Gem he had never even met before was attacking him, his home and his friends. He didn't understand any of this. He didn't understand why this nightmare was happening. What could they have done to deserve such violence and destruction?_ _ _

___"Why… why are you doing this?" Steven croaked out, feeling tears beginning to swell in his eyes._ _ _

___Onyx blinked, looking almost incredulous at Steven's question. "Why?" he said. "You ask why? All this is because of _you_ , Rose Quartz. You, your Crystal Gems, your rebellion, your unspeakable crime. I was created to ensure that the chaos you instilled into your fellow Gems would never disrupt the order of how things should be. I am the living embodiment of the security of Homeworld. Any threat, any risk, any unknown, I will stamp out. What happened on this world will never be repeated again. I was made to be sure of that"_ _ _

___Steven only felt even more confused, but at this point, it that didn't really seem to matter as his head kept spinning, his vision becoming blurring. Out from the corner of his eye, Steven could just barely make out the figure of Pearl slowly walking toward them; her head was lowered, and her hands were folded behind her back. Onyx had yet to take notice of her as she approached, as he was far too preoccupied with Steven._ _ _

___"Now, let's see if you reform in time for when we reach Homeworld" Onyx said, pulling back his arm and raising his fist in the air, taking aim directly at Steven's face._ _ _

___Despite his dizziness, Steven could feel a fresh wave of fear coming over him, realizing that Onyx was about to try and poof him. Except Onyx did not realize that Steven was not going to poof like a normal Gem would._ _ _

___Just as Steven began to anticipate the horrible pain that was about to follow, there was a sudden flash of green light. Onyx dropped Steven to the ground as his entire body was enveloped in a bubble of energy, freezing him in place. Caught off guard, Onyx could see Peridot from the corner of his eye, raising up to her feet, far quicker than anyone could have if they had truly been knocked unconscious. From her left hand, she was holding Onyx in place with her tractor beam and in her right hand, she had already prepared a bolt with her finger-cannon, waiting for the exact moment. She took aim right at Onyx gemstone, preparing to end this._ _ _

___Just before she could fire, Peridot let out a startled cry as a wave of electricity erupted around her body, yellow coloured vein extending down her face and limbs until finally she burst into a puff of green smoke. Steven couldn't believe his eyes; Peridot was gone, leaving behind nothing but her gemstone as well as her metal arms and legs which dropped down to the sand._ _ _

___The tractor beam that had trapped Onyx disappeared, freeing him, as he let out a tense gasp, looking close to shaken, but he quickly recompose himself. Onyx turned in surprised to see Pearl, now standing over Peridot's bodiless gem, the Gem Destabilizer in her hand, pointed out in the air. She was shaking uncontrollably, looking as though she couldn't believe what she had just done, any more than Onyx could have believed it._ _ _

___Lifting his head up from the sand, Steven stretched out his arm, making one last feebly attempt to reach Peridot's gemstone, before his body finally gave up on him and went limb, unable to move or think as he lost consciousness. The very last thing Steven saw before he blacked out completely, was Onyx approaching Pearl, placing his hand on her arm, easing her trembling._ _ _


	13. Jailbreak

_  
Like aliens, Steven! Aliens who invaded Earth!_

_There is no more hiding Rose Quartz_

_Steven, RUN!  
_

"Ah!" With a jolt, Steven shot himself up right, gasping in a cold sweat as though he had just woken up from a nightmare. And for a brief second, he honestly thought maybe it was just a nightmare.

Steven suddenly winched and touched the right side of his face. His right eye was painful to touch, and he couldn't seem to open it fully. Not to mention his head was still pounding like a drum as his mind scrambled process a single, burning question; what happened to him?

Slowly Steven began to recollect on everything that had transpired over the last few hours, from the appearance of the giant spaceship in the sky, to the evacuation of the Beach City townsfolk, the argument with his father, the battle between the Crystal Gems, Garnet and Amethyst and then…

Steven gulped as he remembered what happened. Black Onyx happened. A Gem Steven had never met before had come to Earth, wanting to settle some kind of ancient vendetta against Steven's mother over something she had done in the past, something that happen before Steven was even born. And what was worse is that Onyx was convinced Steven was in fact Rose Quartz once he had seen Steven use his shield.

He remembered how Crystal Gems had all tried to defend him, but one by one, Onyx cut each of them down. Jasper, Lapis and…

"Peridot" Steven whispered, terrified. He now recalled the very last thing he had seen before he blacked out, Peridot's gemstone. Steven's thoughts soon turned to worry as he knew that Peridot would be completely helpless while in her gem form before she regenerated. He had to find Peridot's gemstone and make she was ok, as well as Jasper and Lapis. He had to get moving.

It was then that Steven then finally took notice of his own surroundings, quickly realizing he had no clue as to where he was right now. Standing up right, Steven saw that he was now in large square shaped room, much like an oversized box. The room itself was completely barren without so much as a bed or chair. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of some strange black coated metal, thin red lines stretching along each surface, with the exception of a single wall, which unlike the others, was colored yellow. Curious, Steven moved closer to the yellow wall as it seemed to be humming and saw that it was not actually a wall. It appeared to be some kind of transparent sheet or filter, made out of pure yellow light, emanating between the floor and ceiling. If Steven had to guess, he reasoned that this must be some special force field designed to keep him inside the room, which would mean the room was in fact a jail cell.

Regardless, Steven couldn't let whatever this wall was stop him from helping Peridot and the others. Cautiously, he approached the field and lightly touched it with the tips of his fingers. There was no pain.

Taking that as a sign of reassurance, Steven closed his eyes and stuck his index finger though the field and felt a strange vibration run through his body as yellow colored veins appeared along his arm. It didn't hurt but it did seem to tickle, which was enough to make Steven laugh again

"Cool" he chuckled, sticking his entire hand under the force field, absorbing the current and creating a small gap in the field below where his hand had penetrated, much like if he had placed his inside of a waterfall. Now knowing it was safe, Steven stepped through the field and out onto the other side.

"I'm out. Woohoo!" For a moment he felt a renewed sense of accomplishment. It wasn't much but this was definitely a start. Next item on the agenda was to find his friends. Steven looked around as he now stood alone inside a wide, rectangular shaped corridor, aligned with a dozen more of the same cells just like the one he was in. If Steven was placed inside one of these cells, then he knew that Peridot and the others must be here somewhere too. Picking one direction, Steven ran down the hallway, checking each of the cells as he passed, hoping that one of them would contain his friends.

Steven reached the end of the corridor and rounded the corner, when he came upon a large window. He stopped to take a look outside and let out a small gasp of astonishment at what he was seeing.

Directly below him was the Earth. The literal planet Earth, with its green landscape, blue oceans and white clouds, all sitting in the middle of outer space. This did answer Steven's question about where he was right now, realizing that they all must have been brought on board Onyx's ship after he had passed out.

While this may have complicated things slightly in regard to escaping, Steven couldn't help but take a second to stop and admire the Earth below in all its glory. It was a spectacular sight to say the least, one that might only have come once in a lifetime for human being. But right now, Steven couldn't let that distract him. He had to find his friends and make sure they were safe. That was all that mattered. Sprinting again, Steven continued down the black coated corridor, following the red lines etched on the floor, hoping they might lead him somewhere as he rounded another corner. Steven was halfway through an open door that lead to another room before he came to a complete halt, and with a startled gasp, pulled himself back from the doorway at once, throwing his back up against the wall, praying that he had not been seen. Gulping, Steven peered his head around the doorway, looking into the room again, wishing he hadn't seen what he had just seen.

The room was a wide, circular chamber, with a domed ceiling. In the middle of the chamber was some kind of giant glass tower raising up out of the centre of the floor and up toward the ceiling, a strange red substance, either liquid or light or something else entirely, streaking up and down the tower. At the base of the tower was a ring of computer consoles and screens, the red veins on the floor converging into the base of the pillar.

But what was most frightening for Steven wasn't what was in the room, but who was in the room. The very last Gem Steven had wanted to see again: Black Onyx.

Onyx was pacing back and forth, his hands folded behind his back, appearing to be deep in thought. Standing in front of him was Ruby and Sapphire, both of whom had their heads hanging, neither of them speaking. Sapphire appeared just as dour and aloof as ever, showing no hint of resistance to her impending fate, while Ruby was twitching nervously, likely having to use all her willpower not to burst out screaming.

After another moments, Onyx ceased his pacing and turned to address the two smaller Gems in front of him.

"We will be departing for Homeworld shortly" he said, his voice ringing with the same sense of authority and power as before. "I have been considering what needs to be done regarding the two of you when we arrive"

"Please, please, please don't punish Sapphire!" Ruby cried, dropping down to her knees, her hands clasped together, literally begging. "It was all my fault, shattered me instead!"

"Ruby, please, you need to calm down" Sapphire said quickly, placing her hand on Ruby's shoulder as she continued to cry loudly. Onyx did not respond to Ruby's outburst with any sign of anger. Instead, he sighed heavily and raised his hand to silence them.

"It is alright" he said, calmly. "You will not be shattered"

Ruby ceased her crying and blinked in surprised, almost entirely certain she had head that wrong. "We….won't?"

"No, you will not" Onyx repeated, just as calm as ever. Ruby let out a huge sigh of relief, while Sapphire maintained her posture of indifference.

"In the end, it was my decision to bring you here" Onyx said. "And it was my decision to allow you to fuse, so I must take full responsibility for what has happened. Therefore, I will appeal to the Diamonds to show leniency to the two of you. Sapphire, you will be returned to your respective court and resume your service to your Diamond. And Ruby, I'm going to recommend that you be reassigned to a squad under my command directly. This will all be probationary of course, assuming there are no further incidents. But one thing must be made clear."

Onyx voice suddenly turned colder as he leaned forward slightly, clearly wanting to ensure that this next piece would not be misunderstood in any way. "The two of you will _never_ come into contact each other again. Whatever you two experienced together in that….form, you both must forget it. Never think of it again and return to your duties. Do as I say, and all be well. You have my word. Is that understood?"

"Yes" Sapphire said at once, bowing her head. "Thank you for your mercy Black Onyx"

"This is not mercy" Onyx replied flatly. "I told you, it's my responsibility"

It was then that Ruby cleared her throat and meekly stepped forward. "Um, can I just ask something?

Onyx turned to Ruby, causing her flinch slightly as she met his eye. "Yes?" he asked, still sounding perfectly calm and patience.

Ruby twiddling her two index fingers together, looking rather bashful. "Since we're never going to see each other again…. could maybe….Sapphire and I stay together until we get back to Homeworld? To, you know, say goodbye?"

Ruby blushed deeply and shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself, obviously expecting something terrible to happen once she had finished, but Onyx did not appear to be angered by her request, regarding her with a blank expression.

"I… did see that Ruby would ask you that" Sapphire piped up. "And I also saw that it would easier for us when we part if we use this time to come to terms with it"

Onyx turned to look down at the small blue Gem, his expression still unreadable as ever. Sapphire bit her lower lip, thin shards of icicles beginning to appear under the helm of her skirt as she anxiously waited for his answer.

Finally, Onyx glanced up to ceiling before closing his eyes and letting out a tired sigh. "Very well. You may have this remaining time to spend together until we arrive. But that will be all. Now, say your goodbyes"

"Thank you, Black Onyx" Sapphire said, bowing her head gratefully. "You truly are the most noble and magnanimous of-"

"I said you can spend this time together" Onyx said, cutting over Sapphire, now with a slightly biting note of impatience. "Don't waste it talking to me

Still hiding behind the doorway, Steven watched as the scene played out before him, unsure of what to make of it. Onyx said he would separate Ruby and Sapphire from one another once they got back to Homeworld, which to Steven sounding nothing short of horrible as he knew how much Ruby and Sapphire meant to each other. But on the other hand, Onyx was allowing them a chance to say a proper goodbye and from what Steven could tell, it seemed like he was genuinely trying to help them avoid a harsher punishment. He almost seemed kinda…nice. Or maybe just less cruel than before? Whatever the case, Steven soon reminded himself once again of his own mission. Finding Peridot's gemstone. That was all that mattered

Turning on his heel, Steven sped down the corridor heading away from the circular room and from Onyx. Steven took a single cautionary glance over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed, just as he rounded another corner, when he suddenly collided into something, almost knocking himself to the floor. Once he corrected himself, Steven looked up to see what he had run into and then felt heart jump so far up his throat it likely was never going to retreat.

Standing directly in front of him was Pearl, who appeared just as surprised to see Steven as he was to see her. Steven's body tensed up, as he now felt much like a small prey that has been cornered. For a moment, he tried to open his mouth, hoping to say something, anything, no matter how futile it would sound, that might get him of this situation.

"Pearl?"

Steven wheeled around, hearing Onyx voice approaching from down the corridor and knew he would be upon him in seconds. There was no doubt any longer. Steven was doomed.

Just as Steven began to contemplate the regret of his own failure, he suddenly felt Pearl forcefully grab him by the shoulder with one hand while her other hand slapped over his mouth before he could utter a sound.

Without warning and at an alarming speed, Pearl pushed Steven into a small crevice in the wall next to them, that was just barely wide enough for him to fit into as he felt his arms and shoulders pressed together uncomfortably. Steven grunted slightly as he tried to move, but quickly ceased his efforts once he saw Onyx walk into his line of sight, standing in front of Pearl, who stood up straight, her hands folded at her waist, acting as though whatsoever had happened. Steven placed his hands over his mouth, covering up the sound of his own breathing as Onyx had yet to notice him.

"Pearl, is something wrong?" Onyx asked Pearl.

"N-nothing is wrong my Onyx" Pearl said, very quickly, her voice briefly rising to a slightly higher pitch as she spoke. "I was…just coming to inform you that the preparations are in place and we can soon set course for Homeworld on your command."

"Hmm, good work, Pearl" Onyx replied, appearing satisfied. "Where is Amethyst? She has not been answering her communicator"

Pearl cleared her throat in a rather awkward manner. "I'm not… sure. I haven't seen her since we came back onto the ship. She seemed very…..displeased with how the mission turned out"

"Yes, I will need to speak her regarding her performance" Onyx said, sounding somewhat weary. "Perhaps, I placed too much responsibility on her too soon"

"Well, she did disobey your order by not taking the Gem Destabiliser." Pearl said, her voice now becoming a little more judgemental. "If she failed to follow protocol, it's no one's fault but her own"

" _I_ selected Amethyst to be part of this mission" Onyx said, with a slight note of anger, which enough for Pearl to fall silent at once. "If she failed, then it is my fault"

"Of course, my Onyx" Pearl said, bowing her head again. There was brief moment of silence between them, before Onyx spoke again.

"Pearl, I wanted to talk you about what happened earlier. With the Gem Destabilizer"

"Oh, I was just returning it to you" Pearl said, with a very wide smile. "You dropped it on the ground, and I thought I'd better bring that over to you in case you needed it"

"I am grateful for what you did" Onyx said, sounding both sincere and respectful. "It was most helpful. If you hadn't intervened when you did, I would have been several injured by Peridot's attack"

"Well, I'm sure you of all Gems would have been completely fine, my Onyx" Pearl said, with a tone of voice than resembled something more akin to flattery than genuine kindness.

However, Onyx merely shook his head in disagreement. "No, it was my fault. I was careless". His tone suddenly become displeased, almost bitter sounding as he turned his head away from Pearl. "I should not have lowered my guard like that. To make such an obvious mistake at such a crucial moment is inexcusable. I'm sure that you must think I'm incompetent."

"I don't think that at all" Pearl said, shaking her head at once, looking up at Onyx with an expression of sympathy. "I think you did absolutely amazing!" Pearl's exuberant smile slowly began to falter as her words hung in the air as if she inadvertently said something offensive or unpleasant in her complement. "In that… particular context"

"I should have done better" Onyx said flatly, evidently unmoved by Pearl's encouraging statements. "Nevertheless, our work must continue.

"You mean with the Cluster?" Pearl asked, sounding interested.

Onyx shook his head. "No. The Cluster must wait for now."

"But we never actually checked its current status. If we leave now, something may go wrong and-"

"We must bring Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems back to the Diamonds" Onyx stated firmly, raising his hand to silence Pearl. "That takes precedence above everything else. And I must also do what I can to alleviate the situation regarding Ruby and Sapphire. It was my mistake to allow them to come. Once I make my full report, they should be reassigned without any further issue. After that is done, we will return. As for Amethyst, I will need to speak with her myself. Go and wait for me at the bridge, I will be there shortly, after I have spoken to Amethyst"

Pearl gave Onyx a quick bow of her head and remained where she was. There was another moment of silence as Pearl and Onyx stared at one another. Steven suddenly felt his shoulders beginning to cramp.

"The bridge" Onyx repeated clearly as Pearl remained standing in front of him. "I said go to the bridge, Pearl"

"Oh, oh, yes, yes of course! The bridge!" Pearl threw her head back and let out a loud, incongruous burst of laughter, as if she had just discovered the punchline to some unseen joke. She quickly moving around Onyx, heading down the corridor but stopped when he placed his hand on shoulder.

"And one more thing, Pearl" After standing stock still for a moment, Pearl slowly turned around, looking Onyx in eye without any hint of fear.

While it was difficult to see from his hiding spot, Steven thought he saw what might have been the brief smile on Onyx as he spoke to Pearl, but he honestly couldn't be sure.

"There is no need for to worry" Onyx said, still holding Pearl's shoulder. "Nothing will go wrong. I won't let anything happen to you"

With that, Onyx released Pearl and walked off out of sight down the corridor in direction where she had come from. Pearl waited until the sound of his footsteps could no longer be heard, before she too disappeared down the opposite end of the corridor

Once he was sure they were both gone, Steven pulled his hands away from his mouth and let out a long gasp and then managed to pry himself out of the gap in the wall, standing alone in the corridor again. What was that about? He couldn't even begin to wrap his head around what had just happened. For some reason or other, Pearl had actually helped Steven, but he couldn't understand why. Maybe Pearl was afraid that Onyx would be angry with her if he had seen Steven wandering the ship? Or maybe she had just panicked and acted without thinking? In anything case, that little mystery would have to wait. Steven still needed to find Peridot, as well as Jasper and Lapis. That was still the priority.

Now that the coast was clear, Steven resumed his search running into another corridor filled with empty cells. Just as came to the end of the corridor, he spotted one of the cells which unlike all the other had a force field activated. Moving in closer, Steven could see a familiar triangle shaped head of hair sitting in the darkened cell.

"Peridot!" Steven exclaimed.

"Steven?" Peridot said turning around in surprise, kneeling down on the floor.

Without pause for an invitation, Steven stepped right through the force field, briefly experiencing the same tickling sensation as before, wasting no time in throwing his arms around Peridot's neck.

"Peridot, I'm so happy you're ok and not hurt, and you…you…"

In all the excitement, Steven only just now realized something was very different about Peridot. He knew that the Gems would sometimes look different after reforming. Her outfit was much the same as before, the only difference being her visor had changed shape, becoming more pointed. But what was most significant was the fact that rather than kneeling on the floor as Steven had initially assumed, Peridot now stood at almost the exact same height as Steven himself.

"Oh my gosh" Steven whispered; he placed his hands to his cheek, his eyes now literally sparking in joy. "You're so cuuuuuuuttteeeee!"

"Steven, this is not the time for that" Peridot snapped, a bright green blush appearing on her checks as Steven continued gushing over her, circling around her wanting to take in her entire appearance. It was then that Steven noticed her hands were different as well; they were no longer just a set of detached metal digits, but actual hands like how own. Tiny, adorable little hands.

"What happened to you? Did they shrink you? What kind of evil monsters would make you so adorable!?"

Peridot groaned, sounding both embarrassed and frustrated as she spoke through her gritted teeth. "I did not shrink, ok? This….this is what my actual form looks like. The rest of the time I've just been wearing limb enhancers, which aren't part of my body. But more importantly, how are you even here? How'd you get out of your cell?"

Rather than tell her, Steven elected to show her, demonstrating how he could pass his arm through the field without discomfort. Peridot, now looked rather intrigued, watched carefully as the current passed into Steven's body.

"That force field is a destabilisation barrier that with disintegrate any Gem's form" she said, thoughtfully. "It must not affect you due to your human nature"

"Come on, let' get out of here and find Jasper and Lapis." Steven stepped further into the field, using the length of his arm to create a gap in the flow of energy for Peridot to step under , while absently waving his other hand at Peridot to come forward as he checked for any signs of anyone in the corridor. But when Steven looked back into the cell, he saw that Peridot remained exactly where she was, still looking miserable and frustrated.

"I can't" she muttered, crossing her arms.

"What do you mean?" Steven said, pulling himself out from the force field. "Of course you can"

"I can't help you Steven. Not like this" Peridot gestured down to her short stature form with disgust. "I have no weapon, no powers. I can't even shapeshift. That's why I needed my limb enhancers. I can't do anything without them"

"That shouldn't stop you from trying" Steven said in earnest.

"Steven, I won't be able to protect you in this form" Peridot said, dejectedly. "I'll just be a liability and get in the way. You obviously couldn't understand what that feels like"

"Um….yes, I can?" Steven answered, honestly. "I mess up and get in the way all the time. You guys are always the ones to bail be out of trouble. So now, you can just let me bail you out of jail"

"But even if we get out of this cell, we don't stand a chance against Onyx. He's too strong"

"Then we don't have to fight him just yet" Steven replied. "He doesn't know I'm out. And when we find Jasper and Lapis, the three of you can fuse together and form a super-giant woman

Peridot winced again and the atmosphere in the cell became even colder, as Steven quickly realized he had unintentionally hit another sore spot.

"That's not going to work either" Peridot said quietly.

"Why not?" Steven asked.

Peridot sighed, rubbing her eyes and when she spoke her words were belaboured and angry. "Because I can't fuse. I've never been able to successfully do fusion before. It's hard to accept I know, but even for someone as great as me, there some things even I can't do"

"Then don't think about what you can't do" Steven said, still sounding as motivational as ever. "Think about what you _can_ do. There's like a million things I can't do either. But I still figured out how to get out of the cell. Even if it's a little bit, I still wanna help anyway I can, because I know I'm supposed to be selfless all the time for the sake of other people"

"Oh, Steven, that's really touching" Peridot said, sweetly. "And also kind of unhealthy. "

"I'll worry about that part later" Steven said dismissively, refusing to get off topic. "Please, Peridot. I overhead them saying this ship heading for Homeworld. And you're the only one smart enough to get to the bridge and figure a way to fly us back home."

"That's technically true," Peridot said, nodding in agreement. "But without my limb enhancers, I don't know if…"

Steven reached out and grasped Peridot's hand in his own, not realizing that he was touching her hand for the very time in his life.

"Even if you don't have your limb enhancers, you're still the same Peridot and you can still do the one thing you're best at. Fixing problems. You're always the one coming up solutions. And you never quit no matter how hard the problem is. And I'll be there to lend a hand in case you get stuck"

Steven smiled warmly at Peridot. Peridot pulled her hand away from Steven and turned her back to him. She began pace up and down the cell, with her hand over her over her chin, occasionally stopping every few second while making a slight humming noise in her throat, appearing thoughtful as though weighing any number of options in her mind.

"Maybe it's not totally impossible" she said, finally. "If you can us out of the cell, and if I can figure out how to navigate this ship, we could, at least hypothetically, make it back to Earth". A wide grin broke on Peridot's face as she turned to face Steven again, showing every bit of her usual self-confidence. "Between my expert mechanical knowledge and your expert….Steven knowledge, maybe we do still have a chance! We can fix this mess together!"

Steven smiled again at Peridot and embraced her in another hug, pleased to see her back to her usually productive self, knowing they could fix this situation no matter the odds. As he detached from her, Peridot quickly cleared her throat, adopting a more serious and stern expression.

"But you have to hold my hand the whole time"

"That's ok with me" Steven replied happily. Taking Peridot by the hand, he walk back to force field, placing the length of his arm underneath the electric current, creating a small gap for Peridot to safely step through, before he joined her on the other side of the cell.

"Ok, we're out" Peridot said, glancing up and down the corridor, which appeared to be empty save for the two of them. "Now, the next step is to find the bridge"

"Onyx told Pearl to meet him at the bridge. I saw her go down this way." Steven said, pointing in one direction of the corridor.

"Alright, let's go" Peridot said, nodding in agreement.

Steven and Peridot sped down the corridor, while trying to move as stealthily as possible. They were soon passing along the door which Steven knew lead into the circular chamber he had seen earlier, when Steven suddenly heard a familiar set of voices coming from inside, forcing him to skid to a halt, realizing only now that he had completely forgotten about them.

"I guess, this is really it then, isn't it?" Ruby said, sadly.

"I know that it doesn't seem fair" Sapphire said, her voice strained, holding back emotion. "After everything that happened, but maybe it's for the best"

"It's Ruby and Sapphire." Steven whispered, turning back to the doorway. "We gotta to help them"

"Steven, we don't have time for-WAH!" Peridot yelped as she felt Steven abruptly drag her by the arm with oblivious strength and ease, her feet skidded along the floor desperately trying in vain to prevent Steven back from entering the room as he sprinted toward Ruby and Sapphire, who were standing in front of one another next to the crimson tower of glass, holding each other's hands.

"I'm really going to miss you" Ruby said quietly, squeezing Sapphire's hand tightly. She then forced a very strained smile. "And who knows, maybe we'll see each other around some time. That's still possible, isn't it?"

"Let's not worry about the future right now" Sapphire said soothingly, caressing Ruby's cheek with her other hand. "For once, I don't want to think about what comes next. Let's just enjoy this moment together. There's only one possible thing that could ruin this for us"

"Ruby, Sapphire!" Steven exclaimed, running up next to them with Peridot in tow.

"Oh, we're so cracked" Sapphire said, deadpanned

"What are you guys doing here?!" Ruby cried, jumping at the sight of Steven and Peridot

"We got out and now we're here to save you" Steven replied, entirely certain that Peridot shared his feelings on this subject as well, despite the fact she currently pulling madly at his arm in an effort to drag him out of the room, undeterred by the fact she was unable to make him budge so much as an inch.

"Please, we don't need any saving." Sapphire said, her voice rising fearfully.

"We just got off the hook" Ruby said, looking around the room in panic. "We can't risk doing anything to get us in more trouble"

"But Onyx said you two were gonna be split up. You can't possibly be ok with that"

Ruby grimaced painful and rubbed her arm. Sapphire maintained her posture, yet shards of icicles were forming underneath the helm of her skirt.

"It doesn't matter what we feel" Sapphire said, as apathic as ever. "We just need to forget about it."

"Yeah….we should totally forget about all it" Ruby muttered, sounding as though she couldn't have possibly been further away from the concept of joy.

"But that's just wrong!" Steven exclaimed, distraught at what he was hearing, while still not even noticing Peridot digging her feet into the floor as she pulled furiously at his arm. "Onyx can't force you to be apart"

"He's trying to help save us from a worse fate" Sapphire said, her voice rising slightly. "Even if this hurts right now, it's worth it, so long as Ruby will be…I mean, so we can be safe". Ruby groaned wearily, burying her face into her hands.

"But isn't what you feel for each other worth it too?" Steven asked. "Isn't Garnet worth it?"

Ruby and Sapphire briefly turned to look at one another, but then turned away just as quickly, neither of them willing to answer Steven's question. The silence was broken as Peridot let out an exhausted groan, finally giving up in her attempts to pull Steven out of the room.

"Steven, please we need to go" she said, desperately.

"No one is going anyway"

Everyone in the room froze with horror and turned to the entrance of the chamber as Black Onyx strolled into the room, glaring intensely at Steven. Ruby immediately grabbed Sapphire by the arm and hurriedly pulled her to the other side of the room, getting as far from Steven and Peridot as possible.

"I don't know how you got out of your cell" Onyx said, standing from across the chamber. "But there is no escape for you Rose Quartz. I defeated you once and it'll be no achievement to do it again"

"Please, listen to me, I'm not Rose, ok?" Steven said, gesturing with his hands for extra emphasis. "I'm Steven. Ste- _van_ "

"You can call yourself whatever you want, I honestly don't care" Onyx said coldly. "It's still not going to save you"

Realizing that trying to explain himself would be pointless, Steven opted for the next best thing, taking a step forward, moving in front of Peridot. "Look I care what you do to me, just don't hurt my friends"

No sooner had Steven said this, Peridot pushed past him and ran out into the middle of the chamber, standing between him and Onyx.

"If you want to get to Steven, you'll have to go through me first!" she said fiercely, spreading her arms out wide.

"Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG, stand down" Onyx said, quite calmly. "I have no desire to harm you"

Peridot momentarily balked at that statement, before she let out a loud, derisive scoff. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have totally misjudged your subtle intentions when you were swinging that giant sword at us! And just in case my inflections are too convincing for you, that was sarcasm!"

Onyx paused for a moment, with a brief look of uncertainty. "I…still don't know what that means. But my main intention was to eliminate the two traitors, Jasper and Lapis Lazuli. The question now is, are you a traitor, Peridot?"

Onyx pulled a small, spherical device from inside his cloak and pressed a button on its side. A holographic screen projected out from the sphere, showing an image of Peridot's crash spaceship in the middle of the jungle.

"Despite your interference, Pearl and Amethyst were able to recover enough data from your ship's archives for me to run a background check. My research showed that this ship and the Peridot that it was assigned to went missing roughly 5000 years ago, meaning that you arrived on Earth after the war had concluded."

Onyx pressed the sphere again. The screen changed to display jumbled image of a desperate and frightened looking Peridot speaking directly into the camera, her words cut off by random intervals of static.

"This is Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG ….I'm stranded on the abandoned Earth colony…..this planet is….highly dangerous and I need immediate extraction…..someone, anyone please help…."

The recording had ended, the holographic display retracting back into the sphere in Onyx hand, before he placed it back inside his cloak. Peridot averted her eyes down to one corner of the floor, looking much like a person who had just been forced to relive a compromising and shameful moment from their past.

"I only could decipher some partial log files" Onyx continued. "But I saw enough to surmise that after you had been stranded on Earth, you must have eventually joined together with Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems, either for your own protection or because you had nowhere else to go. Until now"

"What do you-?" Peridot said, looking up at Onyx, confused.

"I am offering to take you back to Homeworld with me" Onyx said. "You haven't committed any serious crime as of yet. If you stand now and come back with me willingly, I will see that you be exempt from any punishment, you'll be reassigned to your original post and be given a new set of limb enhancers."

Onyx paused, likely waiting to see what kind of reaction his offered would create. "Consider what your next decision carefully. You are a Peridot, so use your logic. You have no chance of beating me, no Gem does. You've seen what I can do. The Crystal Gems cannot stand against the might of Homeworld. And when once they learn that Rose Quartz still lives, nothing will protect you from their wrath. This is the only way to save yourself."

Peridot said nothing, as she appeared to be weighing in everything Onyx had just said, but there was clear sense of desire in her expression that suggested she was tempted. Steven glanced back and forth between Onyx and Peridot.

"Peridot?" he whispered, feeling an uneasy twinge of certainty as he waited for her to respond, not entirely sure what she would say anymore.

"Come home, Peridot" Onyx said, offering his hand in the air. "Simply step aside and everything will be alright. I give you my word that I will vouch on your behalf. Isn't that what you want?"

Still, Peridot said nothing, her eyes firmly fixed on the floor, until finally she took a deep breath, speaking in a soft whisper. "I want… to go home"

Steven's felt his heart sink, realizing that Peridot had made her decision, and for a fleeting moment he truly lost all sense of hope. Luckily the moment was fleeting. Had this newfound feeling of despair carried any longer, then Steven would have been certain that he misheard Peridot when she spoke again.

"And the Earth is my home!" Peridot exclaimed boldly, pointing an angry finger at Onyx. "So how about your turn this stupid ship around and take us back, you overcooked, poorly designed, insufferable-triple-mega clod!"

Steven raised his head up and burst into an ecstatic smile, never having been so happy to hear Peridot insult someone before. Ruby and Sapphire appeared completely shocked, both looking at Onyx at with terrified expressions.

Onyx made no immediate reaction, other than to narrow his eyes very slightly as he glared down at Peridot. "Do you have the slightest idea who I am?"

"Pff! I don't care _who_ you are." Peridot sneered, with no trace of fear present. "I care who I am! I'm a Crystal Gem. I'm Peridot! I can fix anything. And I'm not going to just stand by while you destroy everything and everyone that I care about. So, I'm not going to move. I won't back down because…"

Peridot glanced back to Steven, smiling at him with pride and satisfaction. "Because what it is worth it. My friends are worth. And I'm worth it. So, go ahead" Peridot said, her voice dropping to a low whisper, clenching her fists as she held her head up high. "Do your worst"

Onyx regarded Peridot for a long moment, with something that might have been disappointment. "If that's your final word"

In flash of light, Onyx pulled his sword out from within gemstone and slammed the edge of the blade down against the floor, creating a small gash in the solid metal. Raising the sword, he marched toward Peridot, who closed her eyes and braced herself, ready to accept whatever was about to come. Steven, however, was certainly not ready.

"No!" Steven ran forward and wrapped his arms around Peridot's neck, embracing her in tight, unrelenting hug.

"Steven, get away!" Peridot cried, trying to push him away, as Onyx now raised his sword aloft, preparing to strike at them both. "You have to be the one to save the others!"

"I can't, not without you!" Steven cried, shutting his eyes tightly, tears beginning to trail down his checks, refusing to let go of Peridot. "You said we'd fix this mess together, so let's do it together then!"

Peridot sniffed slightly, her own eyes beginning to water as though she could not believe what she had just heard. "Whoa…"

In that moment, two things happened at the same time. First Onyx brought his sword upon where Peridot and Steven were standing, smashing down into the metal floor. The second was a massive explosion of light that enveloped the area where Onyx had struck, momentarily blinding him. Once the light had disappeared, Onyx watched in confusion as both Peridot and Steven had vanished from where they had been standing, leaving nothing but a huge slash in the floor.

Glancing up again, Onyx saw a tiny orb of light the size of a tennis ball, bouncing up and down across the floor. In a split second, the orb took shape and with small popping sound, transformed into a strange, four armed figure, wearing Steven's trademark pink shirt, which was clearly too large for their body, falling down past their waistline, the helm of each shelve was big enough for the extra pair of skinny arms sticking through it. The figure's legs appeared identical to Peridot's, their skin a much lighter, pale green color. Their hair appeared as string of five little brown balls of puff lined up together in the shape of an uneven triangle, and a pair of goggles that covered their two sets of eyes. The Gem landed down the floor, with a brief look of surprise, as they snapped their goggles on to their lower eyes, taking the moment to survey their own body.

"Ok, how in the heck did that just happen?" The Gem tapped the triangle shaped gemstone on their forehead and pulled up their oversized shirt to see a second gemstone on their belly. A broad grin formed on their face. "Oh, of course they fused together! With all their combined skill, hard work, charisma, raw talent and natural good looks, there could be only one possible outcome: me! Alright, Black Onyx, prepare to face the wrath of…uh, Prasiolite! Yeah, that'll work!"

Prasiolite grinned devilishly at Onyx, eager to do battle and achieve nothing short of victory. Onyx, who was momentarily caught off guard by this unexpected occurrence, soon composed himself again and bent his neck forward slightly as he stared down at his new opponent, who just barely reached up past Onyx ankles. Somehow, Steven and Peridot's combined height had resulted in an even smaller Fusion.

From the far end of the room, both Ruby and Sapphire watched with a mixture of disbelief and amazement as Prasiolite faced off against Onyx without a hint of fear. Neither of them seemed to be aware of the fact they had been holding each other's hand for quite some time now.

Without pause for conversation, Onyx twirled his sword in his hand, before striking down at Prasiolite once again, appearing to obliterate them in a single hint.

"Did you get them?" Prasiolite squeaked, popping up behind Onyx's ankle. "Did you? Did you, did you, did you? Oh wait no. Looks like you missed by like huge margin"

Moving just as fast, Onyx swung his backhand, grazing the floor as he swiped at Prasiolite who casually flipped up in the air, holding their hands behind their head, with a look of complete relaxation.

"Hey, maybe instead of swinging where I am, you should swing where I'm going to be?"

As Prasiolite landed to the floor, a small green bubble that appeared at the base of their feet, acting like a cushion. Balancing themselves perfectly on the tiny sphere, Prasiolite began to roll along on top of the bubble, like a train circus performer, circling around Onyx, their mouth beginning to run at full speed as they were not even pausing to take a breath in the middle of their increasingly rapid speech.

"You know I gotta admit, this ship is pretty impressive. Say, where's the bridge, I think I might go there. You know check the view, mess with your seat settings, steer us back to Earth. Life's short. I gotta live a little. I mean I just started existing like two minutes ago. I wanna try some stuff. Hey, do you have a cup holder at the bridge? If there's not, can I put one in? Oh, oh, can this ship do loop de loops in the air? I wanna try one!"

Onyx grunted as he swung again and again at Prasiolite who jumped and flipped over his blade, dodging each attack with ease and landing back on their ball without breaking the pace in their momentum as they continued circling around Onyx.

"Oh, I get it, I'm being rude. Here I am talking all about me, but what about you? I actually don't really know that much about you, Mr Onyx. Hey, you wanna take the next eleven minutes to exposit your whole backstory to me and then maybe we can find some common ground, have an arc about healing unhealthy mindsets and ultimately grow more as people? Personally, I think that be way better than us have a typical by the books, climactic, high octane, big budget, duel for the fate of the universe showdown. Which I would totally win of course but that's beside the poi-"

Prasiolite was finally forced to stop talking when a dark shimmer appeared around their body, holding them in position. Now that his target was held in place, Onyx pulled back his sword.

"Hold. Still" he said.

Onyx brought his sword down upon Prasiolite, but in the moment before the blade made contact, two orbs of light appeared in the middle of the air, converging right between Onyx and Prasiolite, and a second later, the only thing that Onyx sword hit was a pair of rock-solid gauntlets. Onyx gaped in surprise as Garnet pushed him back. Garnet turned to Prasiolite, who was now free of the dark shimmer and able to move freely once again.

"Go help your friends!" Garnet said. "I'll hold him off"

"You got it!" Prasiolite exclaimed, saluting Garnet. Garnet returned the gesture with a thumbs up, watching with a smile as Prasiolite scurried off, jumping onto the nearest wall, ripping off a panel of metal and disappearing inside of the wiring. Garnet then tuned back to face Onyx who glared at her with fury.

"What do you two think you are doing? Get out of my way"

"No" Garnet said, simply. "I'm not backing down, not this time."

"Have you both lost your minds?" Onyx snapped, angrily. "This is treason. Think about what you are doing. Every Gem exists to serve a purpose. A Ruby is a guard. A Sapphire is a diplomatic. But this form has no function. You have no reason to exist"

"I have the only reason that matters" Garnet said. "I'm tired of running and I'm tired of hiding. This is who we are together, and I won't like you take that away from us. Not without a fight"

Onyx furrowed his brow, before letting out a long and frustrated sounding sigh.

"You are not my enemy" he said, flipping his sword around and thrusting the tip of it into the floor, leaving it to stand there. Onyx raised his empty hands in the air, as though in a gesture of diplomacy, as he tried to maintain control of the situation. "I do not want to fight you. We can still correct this. Just step aside. You are making a huge mistake"

"I am not a mistake" Garnet said, shaking her head, a strange, peaceful smile forming on her lips. "I never was. I see that now. I am made of love. And it's stronger than you!"

Raising her gauntlet in the air, Garnet charged forward and punched Onyx across the face, his head rolling back with the hit as she made contact. Garnet pulled her arm and for a moment did nothing as Onyx remained frozen in that same position as if he had become a statue. His lack of a response seemed to unsettling Garnet as much as if he had outright retaliated. Just as Garnet began to tether on what to do next, Onyx slowly turned his head back to face he with a look of pure, unyielding rage.

"Uh-oh" Garnet said, suddenly expecting a great of pain.

Moving with blinding speed and hitting with impossible force, Onyx struck Garnet with the back of his hand, sending her flying across the room, her body breaking against the wall. Garnet groaned, feeling the wind thoroughly knocked out of her, struggling to find her feet again as Onyx slowly approached her.

"No Gem is stronger than me" he said with cold fury. "If this is only way to make you understand, then so be it"

* * *

In another part of the ship, Lapis screamed loudly as she continued to throw her fist at the force field, each time her hands disintegrating upon contact with the field and reforming as she pulled away. Yet no matter how times this happened, Lapis continued to strike at the field, determined to break free, refusing to acknowledge the futility of her own actions. She summoned her water wings and struck at the field, but they too had no effect whatsoever.

Jasper was in the cell across from Lapis, sitting curled up the wall. Unlike Lapis, she was making no attempt to break out, instead looking thoroughly dejected and miserable, resigning herself to whatever fate had in store for them.

"What is wrong you?" Lapis said angrily, finally pausing in relentless assault of the force field. "Are you really just going to sit there? We need to escape!"

Jasper said nothing, not ever turning to look at Lapis as she continued to yell at her desperately. "Jasper, come on! Steven and Peridot need us!"

"There's no point" Jasper muttered quietly. "Even if we could escape, there's no way we can win. Not against that monster"

"So, that's it?" Lapis snapped, sounding even more furious. "You're just going to give up?!"

Jasper leaned back against the wall, staring up to the ceiling of her cell, resting her arms on her knees. "All my life, I was either the strongest Gem or I followed the strongest Gem. I followed Rose because she was the strongest Quartz ever. After she was gone, I thought I needed to be the one that others could follow because I was the strongest. Not anymore." Jasper grimaced, clenching her fist tightly, as though her own words were like bile in her mouth as she said them. "I… can't beat Black Onyx. There's nothing else I can do except to bow to that strength"

"Oh, give me a break!"

Jasper was brought out of her melancholy state when she heard a voice that was obviously not Lapis. She turned in surprise and saw Amethyst standing in front of her cell, arms crossed, looking both angry and disgusted.

"What do you want?" Jasper grunted. "Come to gloat, have you?"

Amethyst did not appear to want to gloat. If anything, she looked as though she had even more right to unhappy with Jasper than Lapis did.

"What's the matter with you?" she said. "How can you just sit there and feel sorry for yourself? You're really gonna let Onyx just walk all over you like that?"

Jasper gave no response, except to arch an eyebrow at Amethyst, not entirely sure what the smaller Gem was hoping to achieve by having this conversation with her.

"You don't get to whine at the mouth like that after you beat me!" Amethyst said angrily. " o, it's not enough that you had to humiliate me, now you think you can also upstage me by acting like the biggest disappointment on this ship? Well, too bad, cos that's still me. By a million miles!"

"Leave me alone" Jasper said, rolling over on her side so that her back was facing Amethyst.

"You lose one little fight and suddenly you act like it's the end of the world?"

"Like you could do any better" Jasper muttered

"I _have_ done better" Amethyst snapped. "I fought Onyx too. And I knocked him flat on his butt!"

Jasper finally turned back to Amethyst, looking at her with an expression of disbelief and perhaps some slight intrigue. "No way"

"Yeah way!" Amethyst replied, nodding excitedly. "Onyx was looking for Quartz soldiers who had been made on Earth and held contest to pick out the best ones. He spared with a bunch of us and in the end, he chose me for the mission because out of all the Quartz, I was the only who managed to knock him on his butt"

"Seriously?" Jasper said, smirking slightly as she held back a small chuckle. "Like on his actual butt?"

"Uh, yeah!" Amethyst said, a wide, eager smile on face as if she had been waiting for any opportunity to bring up this story. "You wouldn't believe. At first, I couldn't believe it, then I thought, oh curd, I'm so getting shattered for this, but then he said the Earth is the most unpredictable planet in the galaxy, I'll need a Gem with unpredictable qualities for this mission. And that was me! You should have seen the look on the other Quartz soldiers' faces. They were totally freaking out!"

Jasper chuckled again, regarding Amethyst with a look of mild scepticism. "Wow, they must have been pretty lame Quartz soldiers if you were the only one to win"

"Guess that means you have something else in common with them" Amethyst replied dryly, before sticking her tongue out at Jasper, who snarled back at her through the force field.

Lapis watched from her in cell in silence as the two Quartz gems who had tried to kill each other not an hour ago had now begun to talk and banter with one together as if they were old friends. Under normal circumstance, this would almost be a rather endearing albeit usual sight, if not for the fact there were literal lives currently on the line.

"Amethyst, you've got to let us out, please!" Lapis said, interrupting her. "Jasper, tell her to let us out"

"Don't tell me what to do" Amethyst snarled, glaring daggers at Lapis

"Can you open our cells?" Jasper asked, in a surprisingly more placid and unenthusiastic tone than Lapis.

"Sure, but I'm not gonna." Amethyst replied indifferently, crossing her arms. "Why would I?"

"If we escape, then maybe you could come with us back to Earth" Lapis suggested. "You were made there, right, just like Jasper? Look I know you must be scared of Homeworld, but you can't let that-"

"I'm not scared of anything" Amethyst snapped heatedly. "And I don't want to help because I don't want to have to hear anybody else tell me about how badly I screw everything up."

"Uh…?" Lapis glanced at Jasper, realizing that this might have gone to a different tangent as Amethyst continued her tirade.

"It's always the same thing. Ever since I popped out of the ground, everybody has always been saying how wrong I am, that I was so useless. But Onyx gave me my mission. He gave me a chance to prove myself and to be something more than what I was. And I then I go and messed up everything. Now he's probably gonna send back to Holly Blue". Amethyst scrunched her face in frustration at the mention of that name, angrily kicking her foot against the floor. "What are the rest of them going to say after I get sent back? They'll think I'm a disappointment too. I'm just so sick of people telling how horrible I am. And I am sick of being told what to do."

"Quit, your whining" Jasper said, leaning her back against the cell wall, looking sour. "Honestly, I'm sick of being in charge. Look where that got all of us. All my power and I can accomplish nothing worthwhile with it. I wouldn't mind having someone to order me around again"

Amethyst stared at Jasper, looking at her as though she had said something offensive and beyond reproach. Before any more words could be exchanged, there was a loud beeping noise emanating from a small circular device attached to Amethyst waist, followed by Onyx own voice speaking loud and clear inside the corridor.

_"Amethyst, the prisoners have escaped their cells. Pearl is at the bridge. I need to you to go there at once to protect her and defend the bridge until I arrive, do you understand? Amethyst, respond"_

Amethyst held up the spherical communicator, listening as Onyx continued to bark at her for a reply. Then, Amethyst threw the sphere to floor and smashed it under her foot. She then placed her hand on the panel next to Jasper's cell, deactivating the force field. Surprised, Jasper step out from her cell.

"You can go be Onyx's new favourite Quartz for all I care" Amethyst muttered bitterly to Jasper. "Me? I'm done taking orders"

The force field in front Lapis cell deactivated as well, allowing her to join Jasper and Amethyst in the corridor.

"Thank you" Lapis said gratefully to Amethyst

Amethyst turned around to Lapis, looking rather surprised at the sight of her. "For what?"

Lapis ignored Amethyst and turned to Jasper. "Onyx said that the prisoners had escaped. That must be Steven and Peridot. We have to find them"

"Wait" Jasper said, grabbing Lapis by the arm as she was fully intent on taking off down the corridor. "We should head to the bridge and see if we can steer this ship back to Earth. That's our safest bet"

"If you want to get to the bridge, follow the path here and take the third corridor on the left" Amethyst said, turning her back on the two Gems. "I'm not helping you any more than that"

"Where are you going to go?" Jasper asked.

"Wherever I want" Amethyst replied in a low whisper, before she took off, leaving Jasper and Lapis behind as she ran down the corridor and out of sight.

* * *

"Amethyst, I said respond!" Onyx bellowed into the spherical device in his hand, expecting Amethyst to reply back any moment, yet she did not. Furious, Onyx stowed his communicator away, getting back to the task at hand, as Garnet came at him once again, her gauntlets swinging, striking him twice in the chest and once in the abdomen. Onyx barely even flinched from her blows and quickly followed up with his own attack. However, Garnet ducked her head to side, dodging Onyx punch by less than an inch and used the opening to hit him with another quick jab in his side.

The two Gems continued with their exchange. Garnet dancing around Onyx, dodging, blocking or parrying his blows, intercepting each one with impossible precision, predicating where each one would come from, and then using whatever opening she could to hit back.

But fight was taking its toll. Garnet appeared ragged, her clothes ripped, more and more cracks appearing on her gauntlets every time she hit Onyx, while Onyx looked to be more agitated than wounded over the course of the battle, barely showing any sign of fatigue or pain. Garnet's movements soon became more lethargic and was unable to dodge as Onyx gave her a powerful kick in her abdomen, sending spiralling across the room. Shaking violently, Garnet stood up and took up another stance, her visor now split down the middle. Refusing to give up, she charged at Onyx once again.

"Enough"

Onyx brandished his hand at Garnet; a dark shimmer of energy forming around his palm and a second later Garnet toppled down to the floor at his feet, her body surrounded by the same darkness that acted like a unbearable weight, pinning to the floor. Garnet struggled to push herself back up but was unable to shake off the dark shimmer. Although Garnet seemed completely immobile, Onyx did not seem to be finished just yet, clenching his palm tightly, the dark energy around his fist intensifying like a small flame.

"I said enough!"

Garnet let out a howl of agony as she felt the force of the crushing pressure doubled down on her body, the floor starting to crack underneath her, until finally, her strength gave out and her body reverted back into light, splitting apart into the two Gems who made up her form. Both Ruby and Sapphire were now lying sprawled out on the floor, Ruby flat on her stomach, Sapphire on her side, neither of them moving, their gem embedded hands barely an inch from the other.

Apparently satisfied, Onyx unclenched his fist, dark shimmer disappearing from his hand as he turned on his heel and began to walk toward the doorway. Onyx was so confident in his success, so sure that he had won, he didn't bother taking a second glance behind him. If he had, he would have seen Ruby and Sapphire slowly reach out and clasped each other's open hand, becoming whole once more.

Onyx stopped and wheeled around, looking astonished as he saw Garnet reformed and rising to her feet once more, still battered and torn beyond belief, yet remained standing, nonetheless.

"How….how can you still have the strength to maintain that form?" he asked, gaping at the Fusion For the a moment, he appeared truly dumbfounded, as though he had never seen anything like Garnet before.

"I don't understand, if you just did as you were told you wouldn't have to endure all this pain and humiliation" Onyx said. There was no hint of mockery or contempt in his voice, as he held Garnet's gaze, but rather a kind of admiration, mingled with confusion. "How can you still keep going despite everything you've been through?"

"Because… I am feeling" Garnet said, gazing down at the two gemstones in her palms. "Everything they care about is what I am. And I am proud of who I am. I am here and I am not going anywhere no matter what you say. So, go ahead, do your worse. If you think can that is"

Onyx glowered dangerously at Garnet. He raised his right hand in the air and there came a loud creaking of metal as his sword pulled itself free out from the floor, flying straight to his hand.

"I will do what I have to" Onyx said, taking up a stance with his sword, the tip of the blade pointed at Garnet. "Stand down now. Final warning."

Without any hint of fear, Garnet grinned, forming her up gauntlets and raising them aloft. "Make me"

She charged once again at Onyx. Sword still raised, Onyx flung his free hand out, creating another coat of darkness around Garnet's body just as he as he did previously, but before it could immobilize her completely, Garnet's form suddenly turned back into light as she split apart into separate blobs, breaking free from the dark shimmer. Onyx had only enough time to register a brief look of shock, as Sapphire flew right over his head, while Ruby skidded across the floor going underneath his legs. Ruby then turned to catch Sapphire in her arms as she landed, the two of them fusing back together in an instant to become Garnet once more. Onyx spun around, swinging his arm wide, but Garnet ducked beneath his blade and thrust her open palms into his chest. A second later, her gauntlet shot off her arms like a literally pair of rockets, propelling Onyx away from her, his feet skidding over the floor until he crashed into the crimson tower of glass in the centre of the chamber.

Onyx quickly recovered and took a run at Garnet but came to an abrupt halt just as a yellow colored force field shot up out from the floor, inches in front of his face. Surprised, Onyx threw his hand at the barrier and grunted in pain as his hand disintegrated on contact with the field, reforming again as he pulled away.

Garnet regarded the now trapped Gem with a deadpanned expression as her normal hands reforming in place of her gauntlets. "I wouldn't trying get out of there were I you" she warned, briefly adjusting her visor. "It's really not going to do you any favours"

And with that final word, Garnet sped toward the doorway and exited the chamber, leaving Onyx trapped in his newfound prison.

* * *

The hexagonal shaped door to the bridge was blown off its hinges, courtesy of Jasper charging into the room like a bull, followed closely by Lapis flying in behind her, formed her wings into a set of fists and she stood back to back with Jasper. They glanced around the room, expecting there to be some kind of resistance, but all they found was a large throne like chair in the centre of the floor, surrounded by a chain of computer terminals and screens.

"There's no one here" Lapis said, dissipating her wings.

"Incorrect!"

Jasper and Lapis practically jumped in surprise as a piece of metal popped off the front most terminal and a small green colored Gem hopped out to greet them. With a mixture of disbelief and caution, Jasper and Lapis approaching terminal, lowering themselves down to get a proper look at the tiny Gem in front of them, who somehow invoked a different feeling of familiarity between them.

"Steven?" Jasper said, slowly

"Peridot?" Lapis said, surprised.

"Correct and equally wrong!" the small Gem replied. "It's Prasiolite. Funny story, I was about to set you free, but then I realized you were already out of your cells and on your way here. I should have expected no less from my seasoned teammates. Now stop pestering me, I need to concentrate. This is delicate work"

Returning their attention to the computer terminal, Prasiolite wiggled their fingers in excitement, before they scurried along its surface, moving in all directions at incredible speed. Prasiolitle's hand began to move so fast they became literal blurs as they dismantled the terminal, ripping apart the metal and wring with ease, reshaping the complex machinery in matter of seconds. Once they finished, the surface of the terminal was now nothing a smooth sheet of metal with a single, shiny red button resting in the centre. With a slightly maniacal laugh, Prasiolite pressed the red button. There was a small clicking sound and hatch opened on the underside of the terminal as small metal hoop came jutting out of it.

"What is that?" Jasper asked.

"A cupholder!" Prasiolitle said, beaming proudly at their success. "I just installed it"

Jasper stared at the newly christened upholder, evidently not sharing in Prasiolite's sense of achievement. "…Why did you build that?"

"To hold cups" Prasiolitle replied simply.

"But there are no cups here" Lapis said slowly, taking a cautionary glanced around the room.

"Well, why would they have cups when there was no cupholder?" Prasiolite asked, not seeing the least bit of logic in Lapis' question.

"Stop talking about cupholders!" Jasper snapped, losing what little patience she had left. "Can you get us back to Earth?"

"Oh, we're already on the way" Prasiolite said, nonchalantly. They pressed a single button on the adjacent terminal, activating a dozen computer screen projections, one of which showed an encroaching image of the Earth's surface.

"I sorted that out like ten minutes. We should be landing shortly. I also, with the help of my good friend Garnet, managed to trap Onyx in a destabilization field, so we won't have to worry about him anymore." Another screen now showed Onyx pacing back and forth inside of a yellow column of energy. The screen to immediate right of that image showed what happened to be a small object launching out from the side of the ship, flying down to the surface of the Earth.

"Looks we have all our bases covered" Prasiolite said, happily. "Although I am a little concerned about this strangely high energy output coming from the ship's engine"

"Strange how?" Jasper asked, already getting a bad feeling.

"Well, after I programmed the ship take us back home, a warning display appeared. Seems like one of the ship's three main power regulators was malfunctioning and the ship couldn't distribute the nesscessary power to from the main engine. So, I fixed this problem by deactivating the limiters on the remaining two power regulators, doubling their power output in order to compensate! But it looks that may also had the side effect of burning out the regulators, thereby overloading the ship engines. Which are now going to explode"

Lapis and Jasper stared at Prasiolite, both of them looking aghast

"Why didn't you fix it?!" Jasper demanded.

"I was busy putting in the cupholder" Prasiolite said with a shrug, clearly not registering the same level of urgency as Jasper and Lapis. Jasper looked as though she had to suppress a powerful urge to do something very painful to Prasiolite, likely by reminding herself this Fusion was at least one half of Steven.

Prasiolite smiled pleasantly back at the two of them. "But don't worry. By my calculations, I should be able to fix this new problem in exactly…."

There was suddenly a loud booming noise and violent tremor rocked the ship, throwing everyone off balance, as every screen turned to statics and a loud alarm began to blare.

"Less time than what we have" Prasiolite finished calmly, still smiling. At that moment, Garnet appeared in the ruined doorway.

"This whole ship is about to go!" she cried. Garnet quickly rushed to over Prasiolite, ignoring the wary looks of surprise Jasper and Lapis were giving her. Another explosion ship, which was now tilting downward, the full force of the downward acceleration in effect.

"Everyone, huddle!" Jasper shouted. Wasting no more time, she outstretched both her arms, pulling both Lapis and Garnet into a tight embrace, as they all kneeled down the floor, bracing for the inevitable impact. Prasiolite briskly hopped off the terminal and perched themselves on top of Jasper's head. After making sure they were comfortable, they snapped their fingers and a second later a huge green bubble formed around the entire party. Everyone opened their eyes and stared at the bubble incredulously.

"Didn't I mention I could do that?" Prasiolite asked, innocuously

* * *

In the circular chamber, Onyx paced up and down along inside the force field, methodically scanning every inch of it as if trying to discover some means of escape. He stopped and clenched his hand, a brief shimmer of dark energy forming around his fist. For a moment it seemed as though he was going to blast his way through the force field but then hesitated as he glanced back at the crimson glass tower behind him, still brimming with the unknown red substance. Onyx lowered his hand, the dark energy disappearing from his palm.

Onyx rubbed his chin, looking frustrated by the impossibility of his predicament. He paced the tip of his finger inside the force field, watching as it was erased by the yellow, electrical current. Onyx furrowed his brow with a look of concentration as the tip of his finger began to reform and maintain a stable shape within the field, though only for a brief moment as it continued to flicker and break apart. Onyx pulled his finger away from the field and examined it carefully as it fully reformed. Onyx then remained still for another short while.

Finally, after taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, Onyx stepped forward and walked straight into the force field, the electric energy washing down over his shoulders and onto his body like a waterfall. His body contorted and arch backwards as it appeared to disintegrate within the field, leaving nothing but his gemstone hovering in the air. But the gemstone glowed brightly as light seemed to force its way back out, creating the vague outline of what was once Onyx's own body. For a brief moment, he appeared much like a ghost, a distorted blob of static.

Then with a final push, the static blob toppled out from the force field, reforming completely as Onyx once again. After straightening himself as though he had done more than tie a shoelace, Onyx took only a single step forward when his legs suddenly began to wobble and he lost his footing, dropping down to one knee.

A great wave of fatigue struck his body as his breathing became very haggard, as if he had just run a marathon, his body trembling violently, with sweat dripping down from his forehead to the floor as he appeared unable to stand back up again. To Onyx, this was a strange experience to say the least, as he had never once known his body not to move when he willed it to.

Eventually after taking some quick, deep breaths, Onyx appeared to recompose himself, the trembling in his shoulders subsiding. He rose back to his feet, but sooner than he did, the entire ship rock with a powerful and violent tremor. Surprised, Onyx quickly glanced once the tower, which began to crack, streaks of light now beginning to pour out as the red substance glowed brightly.

Moving with a profound sense of urgency, Onyx rushed toward the door leading out of the room but came to an immediate halt just as Pearl walked right through it at the exact same moment. Pearl froze up at the sight of Onyx, who appeared just as surprised to see her.

Before either Gem could try to make sense of what was going on, there was another tremor that rattled the ship. The crimson tower in the centre of the room gave another shudder, fracturing to the breaking point. In that very brief instant before the tower ruptured completely, Onyx grabbed Pearl and pulled her into a tight embrace, curling his arms around her as he kneeled down, just as the glass tower rupture completely, releasing a wave of crimson light as everything was then engulfed in a massive explosion that destroyed the room.

* * *

In the skies above Beach City, a black colored sword the sky of a skyscraper came hurtling down from the clouds, the air burning around it as it pierced through the atmosphere, heading toward the Temple. In the brief seconds before the it made landfall, a crimson explosion erupted in the centre of the sword, splitting it half between the blade and the handle. The blade section slammed against the cliffside along the Temple, while the broken handle and pommel crashed down on the beach along the edges of the water, flames spreading out among the wreckage.

Thankfully, since the town have been evacuated, there were no bystanders around that could have been injured from the impact, save for one particular, pink colored cat who had been patiently waiting where he had been told to. Lion bounded through wreckage of the ship, unafraid of the surrounding flames, his nose raised in the air as he began to sniff about, searching for a familiar scent. He stopped at a large pile of metal and released a mighty roar, blasting the metal away in a burst of pink energy, revealing a green colored bubble, which had safely shielded Prasiolite, Lapis, Jasper and Garnet from the crash without so much as a scratch.

"Hiya Lion!" Prasiolite greeted, lowering the shield and jumping onto the pink cat's head, giving him a small rub. "Good boy. Well looks like the day has been more or less saved, thanks once again to the Crystal-oh what's that?"

Something small and shiny underneath another piece of wreckage caught Prasiolite eye and they quickly jumped off Lion's head, rushing over to where the mysterious object was buried, digging it out from under the pieces of scrap metal, determined to get on their hands on it

"I still can't believe it. Peridot actually fused!" Lapis said, with an expression of pride, managing a wry chuckle as she watched Prasiolite literally began to zip back and forth across the beach, now collecting other random bits of materials and items that seemed to catch their attention, collating it all into one big pile.

"I can't believe they turned out so puny" Jasper said, sounding as if she was doing her best to appear as unimpressed as possible, watching Prasiolite effortless dragging a huge piece of metal several times their own size.

"I think they're perfect the way they are" Garnet said casually, with a happy smile. Jasper and Lapis both turned to Garnet, looking at her with some reservation, apparently forgetting that she even present.

"So….are we cool now?" Lapis asked, throwing a cautious look at Jasper, who looked to be in half a mind about whether or not she should punch Garnet very hard.

But whatever the group's feeling regarding Garnet were, they would have to wait, as a loud rumbling noise sound drew everyone's attention over to opposite end of the beach as something began to stir and raise up from underneath a huge pile of debris. The broken metal cleared away to reveal Onyx, clutching Pearl tightly to his chest with a single arm around her slim figure. She appeared unharmed, while Onyx had obviously taken the brunt of the damage. His clothing appeared filthy and torn, his shoulder cape in tatters. The hair bun on the back of his head was coming loose, barely holding together, with strands of long black hair falling down the side of his head.

Pulling himself up straight, Onyx released Pearl from his grasp. "Pearl, are you alright?" he asked, with obvious concern, holding her face in his hands as he examined her for any sign of injury.

"Yes, I'm fine" Pearl replied with a slight cough. Onyx glanced widely around the flaming wreckage, with a brief expression of alarm.

"Where is Amethyst? Is she…?!"

"I saw her getting away on one of the escape pods" Pearl said at once. "I was coming to find you when the ship….it all just happened so fast"

Onyx stared down at Pearl, his hands gripping her shoulders so hard she seemed to wince slightly. "You could have been killed. How?" Onyx whispered, hanging his head down low, his voice laden with disgust and contempt. "How could have I allowed this happen? I should have done better than this. I am supposed to be better than this"

"It wasn't… _your_ fault, my Onyx" Pearl said, avoiding his eye, almost shamefully. "You…"

Onyx suddenly pushed Pearl to the side and strolled past her, his eyes now locked onto the Crystal Gems in front of him. "Pearl, stay here and keep out of harm's way. That's an order. I'm finishing this"

"Wait, my Onyx, you're hurt!" Pearl exclaimed. "You can't fight in your condition"

Onyx did not appear to be listening to Pearl as he clenched his fists tightly and continued to march forward. "Nothing has changed" he whispered under his breath, to no one but himself. "This is nothing I can't handle"

From the other beach the Crystal Gems and their allies readied themselves for battle, with the except of Prasiolite, who was too busy tinkering with the giant pile of metal, electronics and wiring that they were amassing. Lion let out a deep growl, lowering his body to the ground as though preparing to leap at a moment's notice. Garnet summoned her gauntlets and slammed them together. Lapis unfurled her wings, raising her fists in the air with a fierce expression. The only one who did not appear eager to fight was Jasper. She watched as Onyx made his way toward them, her face uncharacteristically livid with fear, shivering as though struck by an ominous cold wind, barely even aware of herself as she took a half a step backwards.

Lapis glanced around to Jasper, not looking surprised by her display of hesitancy. Lapis lowered her wings and walked closer to Jasper, offering her hand to her. Jasper did nothing but stare down at Lapis hand, completely taken aback by the gesture.

"What are you-?"

"We have to win this." Lapis said, cold and merciless, her eyes lowered to the ground. "I can't afford hold back this time. I need to let everything out. This is the only way"

Jasper's eyes widened, as she finally seemed to understand what Lapis was asking. "Lapis, I-" Jasper began, but Lapis quickly cut over her.

"I am willing to do this" she said, now looking Jasper right in the eye, and in that instant Jasper knew how serious Lapis truly was. "Please, you're the only one I can do this with"

Jasper stared down at Lapis, with no trace of excitement or eagerness at her proposal. Instead, she simply bowed her head, solemn and respectful as she approached Lapis. "When this is over, I promise, I'll never let you have to go through this again"

Jasper took Lapis' hand and no sooner than she did, the two Gems transformed into pure light and merged together into a massive ball of energy. Garnet and Lion quickly backed away from the glowing orb as it began to expand and take shape. Prasiolite paid absolutely no attention to this new development as they were too busy taking apart a broken Gem Destabilizer.

Onyx stopped walked and craned his neck up, his mouth agape, looking as close to frightened as he may ever had been at the sight of monstrous Gem that had now towered over him. Once she had fully formed, Malachite pulled her head back and roared her head up to the sky, slamming her two fists onto the sand as she bared her fangs Onyx.

"For the last time" she bellowed furiously. "Get. Off. Our. Planet!"

Malachite pulled her head back, summoning Jasper's helmet and swung her body forward, delivering an earth shattering headbutt down to Onyx. There was loud ringing noise like gong being struck as Onyx caught the brunt of Malachite's helmet with both hands. For a moment, he appeared to have halted the attack, but Malachite continued to press down as Onyx began to visible struggle under her weight, eventually taking a knee in the sand. For a moment it looked like Malachite was about to overpower Onyx, but in a sudden burst of strength, he managed to throw Malachite off, her gigantic body slamming against the cliffside.

Pushing herself off the cliff, Malachite thrust her palms forward in the air. On either side of the beach a towering arm of water rose out from the ocean, each hand clenching into a fist as shards of icicle in the shape of pointed cones formed along the knuckles. The two icy clad fists came down upon Onyx from either direction, who quickly raised his palms upwards and created a spiralling vortex of shadows that surrounded his body, acting as shield. The ice knuckles broke apart upon contact with the mass of shadows, the air vibrating strangely as the water broke apart into tiny, practically invisible particles. Onyx then lowered the vortex, momentarily wobbling on his feet, shaking his head as though he was dizzy.

With another roar, Malachite charged forward and swung her gigantic fist directly at Onyx who matched the punch with his own fist, a black colored shockwave erupting from the point of contact between them. Malachite swung again and again at Onyx who was now swatting away each one of her fists as they came at him, each deflection releasing another burst of the same dark pulse.

Garnet and Lion watched from the side lines as Onyx and Malachite continued to trade blows with one another, while Pearl remained where she was on the opposite side of the beach looking horrified and helpless.

"Not yet" Garnet whispered, rubbing her hand on Lion's mane without even looking, as the pink cat took a step forward to join the fight.

Malachite and Onyx had landed another blow against each other, both combatants knocking themselves back at least ten feet. But they had no intention of stopping as they both pulled their arms back for another punch.

"All done!"

Malachite and Onyx abruptly paused, fists still raised in mid-air, simultaneously turning their heads in the same direction as they heard Prasioilte's voice ring out across the beach. Both Onyx and Malachite had been so absorbed in their battle they didn't notice what Prasioilte had just constructed.

For reasons that may forever remain beyond comprehension, Prasioilte had built a massive and imposing looking cannon, several times the size of the Light Cannon, somehow using the wreckage of Onyx's ship. The cannon was mounted on a four-pronged stand, with a long barrel as thick as tree trunk, a pair of steel pistons sticking out of the backside and a small red laser sight mounted at the end of the cylinder-shaped muzzle, aiming directly at the centre of Onyx chest.

"Um Prasiolite, what is that supposed to do?" Malachite asked.

"I'm curious too!" Prasiolite replied happily, sitting on the main body of the cannon, as they flicked an unnecessarily small switch. The cannon came to life, humming loudly, jets of steams firing out from the sides of the barrel as it the pistons contracted and extended, readying to fire and then….

_Pop_

That was the only made as the cannon released nothing but a tiny, feeble puff of smoke from the tip of the barrel. Onyx, who appeared completely unharmed just stared at the cannon in confusion. Onyx then slowly looked down to his chest and saw a tiny metal rod in the shape of fork sticking out of him. Before he could even consider what to do next, the rod suddenly released a burst of electricity that enveloping Onyx entire body in less than a second, yellow veins spreading across his body, originating from of the tip of where the rod had struck him. Struggling Onyx, managed to pull out the rod before it could fully destabilize him, but no sooner than he had there was another chorus of popping as a dozen more rods were fired into his body. Still on the cannon, Prasiolite was lying flat on their belly, casually flicking the tiny switch back and forth, so completely enraptured in the simple act that they didn't seem to notice whether or not the cannon was hitting its intended target. Soon, Onyx's entire body was covered in the tiny destabilisation rods, yellow veins of electricity spreading all across his body, which was buzzing and flickering like static, yet he did not poof, his face contorted into a mixture pain and determination as he seemed to be using all his concentration to hold himself together.

"Ok, now" Garnet said to Lion.

Finally having permission, Lion charged at Onyx and opened his jaw, releasing another pink colored roar, blasting Onyx back. Garnet then rushed in and hit Onyx with a solid uppercut under his chin, sending him straight upwards, where he was greeted with a heavy blow from Malachite's crash helmet, knocking him back down. No sooner than Onyx had hit the ground again, did Malachite began to release a flurry of consecutive punches, relentless smashing her fists down on top of Onyx who had no time to dodge or block each blow.

Pearl continued to watch in silence, looking horrified as Onyx was mercilessly pummelled into the ground by Malachite, her body trembling like a frightened child. But just as Malachite finally stopped her punching, something changed in Pearl as she ceased her shaking, her eyes narrowing, and her expression began to harden as she slowly rose to her feet.

Panting and groaning in pain, Onyx tried to push himself back to feet but could do nothing fall down to knees again, the destabilization rods still in full effect and taking their toll, as he hugged his arms around his body trying to cease his trembling, letting an out an occasional gasp of agony as a spontaneous surge of electricity passed throughout his flickering body.

Garnet approached and now stood over Onyx, raising her fists over her head preparing to strike the finishing blow. But for a moment she hesitated. Something held her back as she stared down at Onyx in his dishevelled and beaten form, no longer able to even defend himself; he was nowhere near the threat he had posed earlier. But that moment quickly passed. Garnet knew she had to put an end to this once and for all.

Or else…

There was a sharp and fierce cry that rang throughout the air as Pearl leapt forward and in a single blinding motion, pulled forth long, teal colorred spear from her gemstone, slashing in front of Garnet who just barely had enough time to jump back.

Pearl now stood between Garnet and Onyx, spear in her hand as she twirled it in the air. Her stance, her demeanour, her eyes were not that of a mere frightened servant; they were the eyes of a warrior.

Onyx turned his head up, watching in stunned surprise as Pearl charged at Garnet, thrusting her spear at her neck. Garnet guarded and deflected the oncoming with her gauntlets, but Pearl spun, lowering her body and swiped at Garnet's legs using the bottom half of her spear, knocking the Fusion off her feet, pointing the tip of the spear to her throat.

With another roar, Malachite swung a massive hand down at Pearl as if to swat her. Pearl flipped backwards, dodging the attack. Once she landed on her feet, Pearl sprinted toward a large piece of the debris that was jutting upward out of the ground at an angle. Moving an impressive speed, Pearl ran up the full length of the debris, using it as a makeshift ramp before launching herself off from the very top of it, seconds before Malachite's arm came swinging at her again. Pearl flew through the air, momentarily landing on the centre of Malachite's forearm, using it as a steppingstone to launch herself forward with another powerful and graceful bound, her spear outstretched and aimed directly at Malachite's face. A moment later, a small, white arrow of light shot out from the tip of the spear, hitting Malachite right between her eyes, blinding her, as she stumbled back.

As Malachite stumbled back, Pearl performed one last spin through the air and hurled her spear like a javelin, down into the barrel of the Prasiolite's cannon. For a moment nothing happened as Prasiolite eyed the spear with curious expression before the cannon backfired upon itself and erupted into a huge explosion, launching a screaming Prasiolite into the air. Just as they began to descend toward the ground, Prasiolite scream diverged into two distinct voices as they literally split apart, reverting back into Steven and Peridot who flew off in different directions. Garnet jumped up into the air and caught Steven in her arms, landing safely back on the ground, followed by Peridot who smacked first onto the sand behind them.

With one final elegant flip through the air, Pearl landed gracefully back down in front of Onyx and stood there, strong and proud, her figure illuminated by the flames of the ship's wreckage. Onyx, who had fallen backwards onto his hands, was staring up at her with wide eyed awe, looking much like a child witnessing some kind of natural wonder for the very first time.

"Get up" Pearl said, moving towards him. Onyx did not seem to have heard her, merely continuing to stare.

"I said get up!" Pearl snapped, with a powerful sense of authority, which only left Onyx even more stunned. Growing impatient, Pearl grabbed Onyx under his arm and roughly pulled him back to his feet.

"Pearl, you…how did …?"

"Lean on me!" she said, securing him over her shoulder. "We need to retreat"

Onyx made no attempt to argue with Pearl, either because he was still taken aback by her sudden command of the situation or because he may have genuinely agreed with her suggestion to retreat. Pearl reached up to her gemstone and summoned an object out from the beam light; a fully intact Hexahedroid.

The floating cube chimed in a strangely happy sounding tone and nuzzled up close to Pearl, who quickly ushered the little robot away. "Warp us somewhere far away and safe. Now!" she ordered.

The Hexahedroid beeped in response and hovered in front of Pearl and Onyx, it's red eye glowing brightly as it prepared to warp. In the brief moment before they vanished, Pearl cast one last look at Steven, who stared back at her, wide eyed, wondering if he should call out to her or voice some kind of protest. But Steven never had the chance, as Pearl's expression hardened once again, turning away from him as she and Onyx were enveloped in a beam of crimson light, and a moment later they were gone, along with the Hexahedroid, leaving nothing behind but a scorched ring of glass in the sand.

Everything on the beach went quiet, save for the crashing waves and blistering fires. Malachite unfused, shrinking down to the beach as Jasper and Lapis took her place. After a brief struggle Peridot, managed to pry her body out of the sane. Garnet set Steven down on the ground again as the rest of the Crystal Gem moved over to join them.

It was over. Somehow or someway, it was over

"Did we…win?" Lapis whispered, looking around the beach cautiously, as if expecting another attack to happen at any moment.

"Well, we didn't lose, so yes, I think that counts as victory" Peridot said, looking quite pleased with herself. "Also, I FUSED!" Peridot jumped so high she nearly reached up to Jasper's head, earning her an amused smile from Lapis. "Look out, Homeworld! The Crystal Gems are back and we're unstoppable!"

"We survived." Jasper said, gruff and cynical as ever, staring out over the ocean. "That's all"

For a long moment, Steven had nothing to say as he stood there on the beach. Nothing to say about any of what had just happened. He could barely comprehend everything that had just occurred in this one day and yet it felt like every detail was etched permanently into his mind so that he would never forget it.

"Is that it? Is that the end? What happens now?" Steven glanced around the beach, expecting and hoping that someone would answer him.

"I'd be more worry about that phone call right now" Garnet said, making a brief adjustment to her visor.

At first Steven did not understand what Garnet meant, until he felt his phone vibrate and began to ring. He pulled it out and quickly recognised the number which belonged to the first and last person Steven wanted to see right now.

_Steven, I got your message. Are you okay? What's going on? ... Steven?..._


	14. Jailbreak-Epilogue

A clap of thunder rung throughout the night sky, preceding a crimson warp beam that struck the ground, scorching the ground before it vanished. In its place, stood Pearl, Black Onyx's arm slung over her shoulder, the single Hexahedroid hovering above their heads.

Pearl glanced up and down, surveying the area. It was a wide, flat landscape that stretched in every direction. The ground appeared to be covered in some kind green colored coating. If her memory served, Pearl recognized it as grass. Several large rocks laid scattered about the clearing. In the distance, just along the horizon, there was a string of mountains. It appeared that they were completely alone.

"I think we're safe here" Pearl said, turning to Onyx, who lifted up his head to look at her. For a moment the two Gems stared at each other.

Before either one of them could speak, Onyx suddenly convoluted again, his body struck by a violent tremor, as more yellow veins spread across his skin. Pearl set Onyx down to his knees as he was hit by another series of tremors, his body becoming translucent, the outline of his form rippling as it glitched between a state of solid and transparent.

Pearl reached for one of the metal rods that was still embedded into Onyx's shoulder, but just as she made contact, her own fingers disintegrated into thin air.

"Don't touch it!" Onyx snapped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand away from the electrical current generate by the rods; her fingers soon regenerated back to normal.

Onyx turned to the Hexahedroid, still hovering above them. "Droid TR7X-6154281903, magnify optical beam and fire on my command"

The Hexahedroid gave a small beep in confirmation before it moved down closer to Onyx, its red eye glowing as it fired a narrow laser beam the rod protruding from his shoulder, piercing through the yellow current of energy surrounding the rod and destroying it. Onyx winced slightly as the red beam briefly hit his shoulder before the Hexahedroid turned it off.

"Careful" Pearl said, cautiously to the Hexahedroid. The little cube turned to Pearl and bobbed up and down, as though trying to imitate a nod. The Hexahedroid then moved down to Onyx's chest, using its beam to destroy another one of the rods, this time avoiding any unnecessary damage to Onyx. The Hexahedroid continued to work it's a way round Onyx's body, destroying each rod one by one, the yellow veins slowly beginning to recede as the destabilization effects were wearing off. Once the final rod had been removed, the electrical current fully disappeared from around Onyx as his body finally stopped its glitching, becoming fully stable once more.

Pearl watched in silence as Onyx returned to normal, his gemstone glowing brightly as his ripped and dirty clothing began to repair itself. Almost absently, Pearl meticulously began to carry up the pieces of the shattered rods off the ground.

"I'll just….throw these away" she said, raising to her feet. Without much concerned about littering, Pearl picked a good spot in the middle of the meadow and tossed the broken pieces of metal into the wind, watching as they scattered over the grass. Pearl then turned back to Onyx as he tried to stand again. Pearl quickly moved to help him, but Onyx merely raised his hand to her as she approached, managing to push himself back to his feet without any assistance.

Gathering himself to full height, Onyx took a deep breath and exhaled. There was another moment of silence as the two Gems stood alone the grassy meadow, save for the Hexahedroid looking down at them as it continued to hover in the air. After a while, Pearl cleared her throat as she made another cautionary glance around the area, making doubly sure they were alone.

The excitement of the last few minutes had dissipated and now everything seemed to have returned to a state of normalcy, if it could have even been called that in the first place. Pearl soon began to feel a bead of sweat on her forehead as the atmosphere suddenly became very tense and was now looking at Onyx with an increasingly sense of worry and unease. She kept expecting him to start bombarding her with any of a million questions about what had happened, about what she had done. Only now did the full weight of what had happened suddenly dawn onto Pearl. She disobeyed her order, summoned her weapon and fought against the Crystal Gems. And Onyx had seen every minute of. Every minute of Pearl doing just about everything a proper Pearl should not do.

What was Onyx going to say to her? Would he be angry? What she was supposed to even say in order to explain herself? Yet, Onyx did ask Pearl anything. In fact, he seemed to be ignoring her entirely, as he was not even looking at her.

Unable keep with the silence any longer, Pearl finally give in and opened her mouth to say something. "So, that was a quite a thing back there" she said, trying to sound as close to conversational as she could manage. "What with the ship blowing up and that big fight with the Crystal Gems and the of us almost getting killed. I mean, woo! Crazy, right?"

Pearl half-heartedly waved her hands in the air, hoping to add some levity, but to no avail. Onyx made no indication that he heard Pearl. Instead, he stared down at his right hand and flexed his fingers as he tried to form a fist.

"I mean, I can hardly believe how unbelievable all that was" Pearl said. Her eyes widened as she felt her throat beginning to constrict. "So, very, very, very impossibly, astonishingly, terrifyingly, unbelievable." Pearl gulped again, feeling the strength giving away in her legs and her mind slowly becoming overwhelmed with pure shock, as she became only partially aware of her words as she spoke.

"I wouldn't even know how to begin to….talk about it…"

Pearl was abruptly snapped out of her daze and yelped loudly raising her palms up in a feeble gesture of defense as Onyx suddenly thrust his right arm forward, creating a small gust of from the force of his punch. Onyx pulled his arm back and stared at his fist. He then repeated this act a few times, alternating between each arm as though he was striking at an invisible enemy before lowering his arms, staring down at his hands once again.

Pearl now felt even more anxious and confused, having no idea what Onyx was doing, and did have the courage to try and ask him. She only watched as Onyx walked away from her, moving toward one of the nearby boulders resting in the wide bed of grass.

Onyx reached down and gripped the underside of the boulder, lifting the massive rock above his head with no discernable effort. Squaring his legs, Onyx threw the boulder directly upward with a single, powerful heave. Onyx remained where he was, his eyes turned upwards to the sky, watching and waiting as the boulder soon came hurtling back down toward him. Pearl looked on with some concern as boulder was about to hit Onyx, and briefly considered yelling out some kind of warning, but in the split second before the rock made contact, there was a flash of light and gust of wind, followed by two distinct thudding sounds as two halves of the boulder crashed into the ground on either side of Onyx, his sword pointed upward to the sky.

"Um, well done, my Onyx?" Pearl said, with another nervous smile, hoping that perhaps Onyx would respond to a compliment. But Onyx did not seem to be looking for praise as he was now too busy staring at his sword.

"Slow" he said, finally.

"What?" Pearl said, confused.

"My speed" Onyx said. "It's slower than what I was expecting. That last battle seemed to have taken a toll on me". Onyx clenched his fist and briefly flexed his arm. "My strength doesn't seem to be the same either"

Pearl glanced down to the two pieces of the boulder that Onyx had just split apart in the blink of eye and decided to take Onyx word for it that he was too slow.

"Well, I'm sure if you give it some time, you will back to your normal self" she said, cheerfully. "Perhaps if you tried again on another rock?"

Pearl walked over to another adjacent boulder, now feeling much more relieved and perhaps even a little happier, now that she had this opportunity to offer a helpful, unassuming suggestion. Pearl looked over the boulder with a critical eye, deeming it to be good enough value

"This looks like a good one" she said, patting her hand against the solid rock.

No sooner had Pearl touched the side of the boulder, a loud rumbling noise, like a deep guttural growl, emanated from underneath the rock. The boulder then started to shake, clouds of dust falling off it as it rose up from out of the ground, standing on a pair of legs underneath it. A dozen cracks appeared along the surface of the rock which then spilt open into a series of jagged, pointed spikes. As the boulder rose up to full height, it unfurled, revealing a broad-shouldered torso and a pair of massive arms, each one with razor sharps claws in the place of hands. In the center of its chest, was a small, brown colored, rectangular shaped gemstone. At the top of the torso was a round shaped head, with a pair of pointed horns on the either side. Its mouth appeared to be nothing but two rows of sharp teeth, and its eyes were nothing but narrow blots of pure blackness, with no iris or pupils visible.

The creature lowered its head down to Pearl, who just stared back it, unresponsive, having gone completely still in a state of dumb shock at what had just occurred. The creature opened its mouth and released a ferocious roar, which was enough to snap Pearl back to her senses as she stumbled backwards from the creature.

As if acting on some kind of signal, four more of the boulders that were lying across the meadow sprang up to life, each one transforming into the same spike covered creature as the first. All four of the creatures slowly began to converge around Onyx and Pearl, surrounding them on all sides.

The first creature sniffed at the air and took a step toward Pearl. Onyx quickly ran in front of her, brandishing his sword at the beast as he took up a fighting stance, standing between it and Pearl. Reacting on instinct, Pearl raised her hand to her gemstone, preparing to summon her weapon. But just as her gemstone began to glow, Onyx threw a single, curious glance over his shoulder to Pearl. Meeting Onyx eye for just a moment, Pearl immediately lost all her nerve and dropped her hands down her sides, her entire body going as straight as a board as she stood perfectly still.

Onyx did not pause to question Pearl on her behavior as he was forced to turn back to face the creature, blocking the oncoming swipe of its claws with his sword. Onyx then pushed the creature's arm away and then swung his sword low, slicing the creature clean in half in its mid-section.

For a moment creature's the disembodied upper torso hovered in the air above its pair of leg before halves of the creature suddenly exploded into a puff of brown colored smoke. The gemstone that was embedded in the beast chest fell down to the ground.

Onyx gave a curious look at the gemstone, but then quickly wheeled around as another one of the creatures came charging at Pearl from behind. Pearl made no attempt to move, could only turn around in time to see the creature's fang preparing to sink into her, before she was roughly pushed aside by Onyx. The creature's fangs sunk into Onyx outstretched arm and he winched with pain.

The beast kept hold of Onyx arm within its jaw as another one of the creatures charged forward and turned its back to Onyx, firing the jagged spikes from its back like volley of arrows. Onyx raised his sword in his free hand, using it as a shield to block the oncoming spikes, while his other arm was still trapped the beast jaw.

From the other side of the meadow, there came a high-pitched whirling noise, which sounded close to an actual scream as the Hexahedroid was now flying at full speed, being relentlessly chased around in a circle by one of the creatures, which was champing its teeth as it tried to catch the tiny robot in its mouth.

Pearl glanced back and forth between incapacitated Onyx and the Hexahedroid. She knew that she needed to do something, just as she had done earlier. But something was wrong. That same burning, impulse that had spurred her into action when she saved Onyx from the Crystal Gems was no longer present. Right now, Pearl could not feel any sense of confidence or strength. She felt nothing, but terror, indecision and a horrible feeling of uselessness.

Before Pearl could come to any conclusion on what she should she do, she was confronted by another one the creatures. Pearl had no chance to run or defend herself as the beast raised its clawed hand, preparing to cut her to pieces. Then, in the split second before the beast attacked, a black colored broadsword was lodged into its chest, knocking the monster down to the ground before it poofed into the air.

Pearl turned back to see Onyx's outstretched arm in the air, having thrown his sword to save her. Now that his other hand was free, Onyx slammed his palm to the ground. A dark pulse of energy rippling across the surface of the grass, forming a perfect ring that spread out for almost a hundred yards, encompassing them all.

Pearl suddenly felt her body becoming extremely heavy, as though something was pressing down hard her shoulders, the increased sensation of weight forcing to drop to her knees. She recognized this power at once. This was Onyx's signature ability to manipulate gravity, though she was the first time she ever the affect for herself and now she could understand clearly why this was considered one of Onyx most formidable powers.

At the same time, all three of the remaining creatures were hit by the same effect, all of them now beginning to struggle in order to remain upright. The one that had been chasing the Hexahedroid suddenly toppled to the ground with a crash, while the cube itself remained airborne, seemingly unaffected by Onyx's power.

The creature holding Onyx in place lowered its head it came closer to the ground, loosening its jaw enough for Onyx to break free. Onyx then wasted no time before delivering a powerful uppercut under the creature's chin, which was enough force to poof the creature, its gemstone dropping to the ground. Moving swiftly as though he was gliding over the meadow, Onyx grabbed his sword that lying next to Pearl and without any break in momentum, he cut straight through the two remaining beasts, each one evaporating into vapor, leaving nothing but a gemstone behind.

Onyx kneeled down and placed his open palm hand on the ground again. Another pulse travelled along the surface of the grass; the ring of energy disappeared from around the meadow and Pearl felt the extreme weight leave her body, allowing her to stand again. She watched as Onyx remained on his knee, taking several deep breaths as though that brief excursion had left exhausted. A moment later, the Hexahedroid zoomed over to Pearl's side, nuzzle close to her face.

"The Hexahedroid appears undamaged" she said, somewhat irritated as the robot continued to smother her, before she ushered it away, taking its odd behavior as sign it was perfectly fine. Pearl then glanced down to the five incapacitated gemstones, lying scattered around the meadow. "What were those things. Were they…Gems?"

It seemed to be the only explanation, but they were unlike any Gems Pearl had ever seen before. Even Off-Color Gems never appeared to be this abnormal or even dangerous. What could possibly alter a Gem to such a monstrous degree?

"We are too exposed here" Onyx said abruptly, his eyes scanning out over the landscape, no doubt looking for any more signs of an attack. "We need a more defensible position".

Onyx gaze settled on the mountain range out on the horizon. "There" he said, pointing to the mountains. "We should get moving"

"It does appear quite a distance" Pearl said, thoughtfully, as she stood next to Onyx, placing her hand over her chin as she appeared to study the mountains. "We could send the Hexahedroid to scout the terrain ahead of us and once it scans a suitable location, it could warp us there immediately. Then again, that would leave us to wait here in the open. And we obviously can't risk the droid being destroyed or running out of power before it reaches a safe location, so going on foot seems to be our best option"

A few seconds after she had finished talking, Pearl widened her eyes, having not even been aware she was speaking out loud without any permission and soon realized that Onyx was looking directly at her, listening to every word she had said.

"Um, but I'm sure you already thought of all that my Onyx!" Pearl said quickly, throwing her hands up at once. She let out another nervous, high-pitched laugh. "Listen to me, rambling on about things I know nothing about it. I'm sure I must sound insane!"

However, Onyx simply turned back to face the mountains. "No, that was accurate summation of our present situation. The best course of action would be us for walk. Let's go"

Without another word, Onyx strode forward in the direction of the mountain. Without waiting for kind of invitation, Pearl followed after him, the Hexahedroid floating behind her.

They walked for what may have been hours, the outline of the mountain range remaining fixed in front of them, gradually growing larger the closer they came to it. Onyx remained in front, while Pearl walked no more than five feet behind him at all times, with the Hexahedroid taking up the rear. Eventually they had left the grassy meadow and the terrain became rocky and barren. As they approached the base of the mountain, the ground began to incline upwards, growing steeper the further they went uphill. After trekking for nearly an hour the ground soon leveled off again as they found a path, sticking out along the cliffside, that lead through the mountains.

All the while as they walked, Pearl continued to wonder when Onyx was going to ask her how she had defied his orders, trying to think of all the possible ways she could explain herself in that manner that would convince Onyx that nothing about her was out of the ordinary. She kept looking at him, expecting him to say something to her at any moment, yet he remained silent and distance, keeping his eyes forward at all times. Pearl hated this perpetual silence nearly as much as she hated the idea of having to talking to Onyx. Was he ever going to question her? Maybe he was too preoccupied with their current situation and wanted to remain focused? Maybe he forgot about the previous event entirely? Or maybe he was just waiting until they found somewhere safe before he began to question her? And what was going to happen then? No matter how much Pearl may have wanted to, it was impossible to tell Onyx the truth.

Pearl was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she paid no attention to the ground in front of her, walking too close to the edge of the path and wasn't prepared when a section of the ground broke underneath her foot, causing her to slip off the edge. Pearl let out a startled cry as she fell over the cliffside, but then came to an immediate halt as Onyx caught her by her wrist, pulling her back onto the path.

Pearl let out a shaky breath as she fidgetingly brushing some of the dust off her skirt, quickly trying to recompose herself. "Oh, um, thank you, my Onyx, I must not have seen-"

"This terrain is treacherous." Onyx said, coldly, already turning away from her and resuming walking. "You need to be more careful".

Pearl lowered her head and resumed walking, keeping mind of where she was going, keeping as far away from the edge of the cliff as possible.

Eventually after another hour of walking, they found the entrance to cave etched along the mountain side. After taking a moment to examine the entrance, Onyx entered the cave, followed by Pearl and the Hexahedroid.

Though the entrance was not that big, the cave itself was quite large, going in for several miles deep into the mountain. Sections of the walls were covered in some kind of strange, spongy substance which glowed bright blue, offering them illumination in the otherwise darkened cave. Dozens of stalactites hung from the ceiling, as well as some stalagmites sprouting up from the floor of the cave.

Onyx spent several long minutes looking over the cave, clearly trying to appraise its value, while Pearl stayed quiet, determined not to say anything else out of turn or do anything else that might get her into any more trouble. The Hexahedroid wandered over to a corner of the cave to a nearby stalactite, its red eye fixated on a drop of water slowly trickling down from the tip of the rock and landing on the stalagmite that was forming underneath.

"This should be suitable base of operations for the time being." Onyx said, finally. He made his way back toward the entrance of the cave. "I'm going to head and scout the rest of the terrain". Pearl followed after him, but Onyx raised his hand to stop her.

"Pearl, wait here and do not move until I return"

"Yes, my Onyx" Pearl said, giving him a gracious bow.

Onyx paused, looking at her carefully. "Be sure that you understand me, Pearl. I am giving you a clear order to not to move from this spot until I say otherwise. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes. I understand, my Onyx." Pearl replied, lowering her head again. Appearing to be satisfied, Onyx walked out of the cave and out of sight.

Now alone, aside from the Hexahedroid, which was now watching the water drop transition between the stalactite and stalagmite, Pearl let out a small sigh, before she straightened her back and folded her hands down to her waist, holding that posture without flaw. She stood there, elegant, posed and beautiful, a perfect little figurine. This was good. This was her natural state.

After a short while, the Hexahedroid finally took its red eye off the dripping water and looked over to Pearl. The cube hovered next to her, its red eye peering close to her face, beeping three times in a row, as though it was trying to say something. Pearl made brief glance toward the Hexahedroid but lowered her head again.

"This is ok" she whispered. "I don't need to move. Or do anything. I don't need to worry about fighting or talking or anything important. I just need to stand still, be quiet and follow orders. That's all. Just do as I am told, and nothing will go wrong"

The Hexahedroid stared at Pearl and let a low, melancholy sounding beep noise. Suddenly, the Hexahedroid's eye widened fully and it began to beep very loudly, frantically bobbing itself from side to side.

Pearl watched the little cube with a confused expression, having no idea what it was doing and briefly wondering if it was malfunctioning. But then everything became quite when Pearl felt a huge tremor that shook the cave, followed by a warm and foul-smelling breeze blowing onto the back of her neck.

Moving her neck very, very slowly, Pearl turned her head around just enough to see the snarling face of a spike covered monster standing right behind her, identical to the ones that they had encountered earlier.

Pearl snapped her head forward again, looking terrified as sweat rolled down her forehead. She did not scream or run, despite the overwhelming desire to do so. She remained frozen in place, the same thought repeating in her mind over and over again.

_"Do not move. Do not move Do not move!"_

The monster did not immediately attack. Instead it began to circle around Pearl as though she was some object worthy of interest or study.

The Hexahedroid continued its frantic beeping, now literally pushing itself into Pearl's side as if trying to get her to move, practically ramming her. But no matter how hard the cube pushed, Pearl would not budge. She could not move. She couldn't disobey her order. She had to stay still, and she knew it would it be fine. This had to be fine.

The beast now stood directly in front of Pearl, dwarfing her in size. It let out a deep and dangerous sounding growl, clearly beginning to lose any form of restraint it may have possessed. Pearl stared into the beast cold and merciless eyes, realizing that it was seconds away from ripping her to shreds, she felt it again. The same intense feeling of strength that she not felt for thousands of years. The feeling of rebelling. But then her mind turned to Onyx and what he had told her to do. Pearl told herself that he wouldn't be much longer. He'd be back any second. And even if he wasn't, she still supposed to remain still. Those were her orders.

After spending another minute grunting and sniffing at the air, the beast finally lost patience, letting out a massive bellow which shook the cave, raised its clawed hand above Pearl, preparing to strike.

Just before it could attack, the Hexahedroid zoomed in between Pearl and the beast, firing a red beam from its eye, hitting the creature directly in its face. The beast let out a small cry and shook its head as if had been stung. The Hexahedroid fired again into the beast's shoulder. The beast roared at the little robot and swiped it at with its claws, as became the full focus of its wraith. The Hexahedroid dodged the beast's oncoming claws and fired its beam again while hovered back further into the cave, leading the beast away from where Pearl was standing. Pearl watched with fear and suspense as the beast tried to catch the Hexahedroid, which continued to evade the beast's grasp, firing back it with its red beam, although this seemed to leave no lasting damage on the monster.

Suddenly, the red beam faded in mid-air, sparks flying out from the Hexahedroid's eye as the robot momentarily dipped in the air, struggling to remain airborne. This was enough of an opening as the beast struck the cube with its back hand, sending it crashing into the wall of the cave.

"Droid TR7X-6154281903!" Pearl cried, only realizing now how tedious it was to say that.

The beast now lumbered its way toward the downed robot. The Hexahedroid beeped helplessly and rattled on the ground as it tried to take off, but failed, either too damaged to move or having used up too much its power in the fight.

Pearl watched as the beast raised its arm in the air, preparing to crush the little robot. Pearl couldn't let that happen. She had to stop this from happening. She had to do something. She _was_ going to do something.

She felt it again.

Releasing a loud and terrifying battle cry, Pearl leapt through the air, landing in between the beast and the Hexahedroid, summoning her spear from within her gemstone. She moved into a fighting stance and tightened her grip on her spear, staring down the snarling beast without any hint of fear. She was not backing down. Not this time. She was going to fight this monster and she was going to win.

Pearl made the first move and ran headlong at the monster. The beast bellowed once again and swung its clawed hand at Pearl, who arched her body backwards, avoiding the attack as she slide on her knees underneath the beast, right between its legs, while slicing at once of its ankles. The beast toppled down to its belly just as Pearl emerged on the other side of it.

As beast pushed itself up, the spikes on its back began to rattle and second later they fired out from the beast back like a volley of arrows. Pearl spun her spear between her hands, deflecting the oncoming spikes, but missed one as it nicked her across the leg, forcing to take a knee due to the pain.

The beast had now risen back to full height. It reached behind its back, grasping at one of the spikes, In an almost sickening fashion, the beast pulled the spike out from its back, as it extended in length and width, before it was plucked out, the tip of it forming as a thick stub, resembling a massive club. Now armed with a weapon, the beast swung its club at Pearl, who barely managed to jump back in time due to thanks to the beast's increased range of attack.

The beast raised the club and slammed it down on Pearl, who caught it the blow with the center of her spear. The beast's strength pushed Pearl down to her knee, but after a moment Pearl rose to her feet, pushing back against the beast with all her strength. With another strong battle cry and burst of energy, Pearl threw the beast off her, sending it tumbling back at least ten feet from her.

Now separated, Pearl and the beast circled one another, both waiting for the other one to attack. The cave had gone almost silent aside from a gust of wind from the entrance and the dripping of water from the nearby stalactite.

Hearing this drip of water, Pearl turned back to the stalactite and stalagmite behind her, struck by a sudden wave of inspiration. Quickly formulating a plan, Pearl performed an impressive backflip through the air and landed on the tip of the stalagmite, balancing herself perfectly. She remained on the stalagmite, keeping her eyes fixed on the beast in front of her.

The beast titled its head at Pearl curiously, before it charged forward and swung its club, shattering the stalagmite, but missed Pearl as she launched herself upwards. Turning around in the air, she landed on the opposing stalactite and was now the perfect position to strike, sitting directly above the creature's exposed back. Having made her opening, Pearl kicked her feet off the tip of stalactite, her spear aimed at beast's back as she came down upon like a bolt of lighting

However, it seemed the beast could somehow sense the approaching danger and in the precious few moments before Pearl made contact, the dozen spikes on the creatures shot upwards, each one becoming the length of Pearl's own spear and twice as thick, acting as wall of needles ready to skewer anything that tried to pass through it.

But despite her opponent's desperate counteract, Pearl did not waver, keeping herself on target. Carefully weaving and bending her body at the right angles, she slipped through the narrow gap between the spikes, landing and thrusting her spear into the exposed section of the beast's back. The beast let out a painful groan and wobbled on its feet before it poofed into a cloud of vapor. A small, brown gemstone landed down to the ground alongside Pearl.

For a moment, Pearl felt a strange mixture of disbelief and accomplishment. She had done it. She had won, yet a small part of her was trying to tell her it didn't happen, trying to downplay the significance of what she had done. But this conflicting sense of victory was impeded when she heard a low, beeping noise on the other side of the cave. Recognizing the noise at once, Pearl rushed over to the Hexahedroid that lay on the cave floor and picked it up into her arms.

"Are you alright?" she asked, with concern.

The Hexahedroid released a quick series of beeps, before it floated up out of Pearl's arms, blinking at her with its red eye.

A sense of relief washed over Pearl. The Hexahedroid appeared to be intact. Though she recognized it as a machine, she couldn't help but feel happy the little robot survived, particularly after the way it had tried to defend her. The Hexahedroid seemed happy as well as it nuzzled up close to Pearl, who unlike before, felt comfortable enough to return the gesture this time.

"I won" Pearl whispered, turning her head back to the gemstone lying on the cave floor. "I can hardly believe it. I was-" A broad smile broke across Pearl's face as she grabbed the Hexahedroid with both hands, practically pressed her face up to its red eye. "I was amazing! I mean, did you see me back there?!"

As though taking that as an actual question, the Hexahedroid pulled away from Pearl and released a holographic screen projection from its eye; despite being knocked down, it managed to capture the entire fight between Pearl and the monster from its point of view, playing back the highlights over and over again. As Pearl watched the images of her battle play out, seeing what she had accomplished, feeling something beginning to bubble up inside of her. Something that she could hold back no longer.

"YAHOO! Yeah! Woo! I am the best Pearl there is!" Pearl cheered joyous, her voice echoing throughout the cave, feeling happier than she ever felt in a long time, throwing her arms in the air as she leapt up and down across the cave. The Hexahedroid soon joined her in celebrating, making a beeping noise that sounded close to trumpet, while doing loop de loops in the air

Pearl didn't how long she had cheered for; it may have been years and she would not notice as continue to bound in the air. All that matter to her was this feeling. She felt incredible, she felt invincible, she felt powerful, she felt accomplished, she felt strong. She felt…normal.

As that until she finally opened her eyes again and saw none other than Black Onyx standing, arm crossed right in front of her.

Pearl stopped her cheering, her smile dropping faster than a meteor, her arms still raised in the air. The Hexahedroid continued to beep loudly in celebration, before abruptly stopping when it saw Onyx as well. The cube then quickly zoomed behind Pearl, losing any resemblance of courage it may have had now that Onyx had returned.

Pearl glanced to the spear in her hand and quickly hid it behind her back, offering Onyx a nervous smile and chuckle as he stared down at her.

"Unless I'm mistaken, which I am not," he said, calmly. "I gave you an explicit order not to move until I said otherwise, didn't I?"

Pearl gulped, her body trembling as she was compelled to answer. "Y-yes!"

"And I believe you did the exact same thing in the battle against the Crystal Gems?"

"I did!" Pearl said, shutting her eyes, wishing with all her might she was somewhere else.

"So, it appears that you _can_ disobey my orders if you feel you have to" Onyx said.

Pearl let a tiny whimper, expecting any number of horrible things to happen as Onyx stepped closer to her, his almond shaped eyes boring into her.

"That is….quite a relief"

Pearl stopped her shaking and opened her eyes again, her sense of terror vaporing at once as her mind went completely blank at that response. "Wha?"

"I feel relief now that I know for certain you can go against my orders." Onyx explained.

"You feel…relieved that I can do that?" Pearl said, her disbelief now being pushed to a breaking point. Admittedly, she had not be entirely sure how Onyx would react, but at best she assumed he would write off her as being defective and intend to have her replaced.

"Clarification is the keystone of security" Onyx said, placing his arms behind his back. "I couldn't understand how you did what you did before, when you saved me from the Crystal Gems. At first, I thought that perhaps I miscommunicated my previous order somehow. I needed to perform this test to uncover the truth and put my mind at ease"

"Test?" Pearl said, still feeling confused.

"Shortly after I left, I found one of those creatures nearby and intentionally lure it here. I purposely gave you an order to see how you would respond if the creature were to attack you"

"You _wanted_ it to attack me?" Pearl said, unable to hold back a mild note of indignation in her voice.

"I wanted to see what you would do." Onyx replied as calm as ever. "I was waiting outside, watching the entire time. If I felt that things were going too far, or if you did not fight back, I was prepared to intervene."

"So, you knew I would win?" Pearl asked.

Onyx raised an eyebrow at Pearl. "If I knew that, I wouldn't have needed to test you. But it was necessary in order to obtain a firm grasp of your capabilities. From what I have seen, you possess extraordinary combat skills, unflinching composure in the heat of battle and keen mind for strategy. And you are capable of circumventing my orders when the situation requires it."

Pearl honestly did not know how to feel about that. She felt the color rise in her cheeks when Onyx praised of her for her performance. The fact praised her at all made her tremendously happy, yet she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at being through such an elaborate ordeal just for Onyx to gain information. Somehow, talking now felt like it would be a lot less difficult.

"You are without a doubt the most remarkable Pearl I have ever seen" Onyx said, causing another deep blush to appear on Pearl's face, as she was practically gaping at him. "And that is exactly why I need you"

Onyx turned away from Pearl and walked to the entrance of the cave, his hands still folded behind his back as he stared out to horizon, observing the sky slowly became to turn a bright shade of orange hue as the sun was now beginning to raise again.

"We are trapped on dangerous alien world, filled with unknown dangers. I have no idea of what's out there or what our enemies, the Crystal Gems, are planning next. And we have only a limited amount of time before the Cluster emerges, which will wipe out this entire planet, taking us along with it. I need you more than ever, Pearl"

Onyx stared down at his own two hands, clenching them tightly as they began to shake. "I don't know how long it will be until my strength returns, and we cannot afford any liabilities when we are so vulnerable. I need you to be able defend yourself when the time comes. Knowing you can fight for yourself means that I don't have to prioritize your safety"

Onyx turned to face Pearl, looking her directly into her eyes as he spoke. "I believe I can rely on you Pearl. Can you help me?"

Pearl said nothing, and only continued to stare at Onyx, wide eyed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Onyx needed her. He wasn't angry or disapproving of what she had done. He wanted to be exactly as she was. He was asking her for his help, almost as though he considered her to be an equal.

"….Pearl?" Onyx said, after a long moment, still waiting for Pearl to answer him.

"Huh?" Pearl quickly shook her head, snapping out of her daze. "Oh, y-yes! Yes absolutely, I…I mean, of course. I am always at your service, my Onyx" Pearl said, giving him a gracious bow

Onyx placed his hand on Pearl's shoulder with a firm grip, prompting her to look up to him as her a brief nod of approval, satisfied by her answer.

"Now as for Droid TR7X-6154281903," Onyx said, turning to the floating cube. "Since it is the only Hexahedroid we have at our disposal, it will be vital for our survival. Once it is fully recharged, I want you to go out and patrol the planet in order to update Droid TR7X-6154281903 database for warp locations"

"You want me to go with it?" Pearl said, surprised. The Hexahedroid chimed happily, already nuzzling Pearl's face again, clearly ecstatic at the news they would be staying together.

"Yes" Onyx said. "You will be its escort. I expect you to defend Droid TR7X-6154281903 from any threats you might encounter. From what I have just witnessed, that should well within your capabilities"

"Umm…" Pearl said, hesitating for a moment.

"Is there something wrong?" Onyx asked

"No, it was just thinking that…" Pearl paused briefly. "Well, Droid TR7X-6154281903 is a bit of a long name to say, so, perhaps we could give the droid a nickname instead?"

"A nickname?" Onyx repeated.

"Yes, it's a way to help make things feel more….distinguishable" Pearl said, smiling rather fondly.

Onyx stared at Pearl for a long moment. "What nickname did you have in mind?"

"Hmm…" Pearl paused and turned to the Hexahedroid, hoping for some burst of inspiration when something finally came to her. "What about…. Peril?"

"Peril?" Onyx said. "Why call it that?"

"Well because we're on a Pearl-ilous mission together!" Pearl smiled broadly while Onyx remained as stiff as ever, before he gave another brief nod of approval.

"Very well then" he said. "Once _Peril_ has fully recharged, I want the two of you to begin scouting the planet and report back to anything that may of use within the hour. If you see the Crystal Gems, do not engage with them. Understood?"

"Yes, my Onyx" Pearl said, giving another respectful bow of her head. Beside her, Peril chimed happily, apparently quite happy with its new name.

"Thank you, Pearl" Onyx said, as he walked past her. "That will be all"

Once she was sure that Onyx was no longer looking at her, Pearl lifted her head and slowly walked toward the entrance of the cave, watching as the rising sun now illuminated the red-stoned valley that stretched out before her.

She didn't know what the future would bring or what challenges she would have to face. All she knew was that she wanted to keep hold of this feeling, this remarkable feeling that told her in irrefutable terms that she could absolutely anything. There was nothing and no one that could stop her. Pearl was never going to let go of this feeling again. No matter what it cost.


	15. Full Disclosure

Steven sighed deeply as he stared down at his phone, his mind a complete blank as he tried for what was likely the millionth time to think of a way of explaining to Connie the earth shattering sequence of events that had occurred last night. It was early morning, as Steven sat alone on in the middle of the beach, which was still littered with the wreckage of Black Onyx's spaceship which had crashed the previous night. After Onyx and Pearl escaped, Steven and the Crystal Gems decided to return home, accompanied by Garnet who had nowhere else to go now that she had betrayed Homeworld.

They had a brief discussion on what to do next. The obvious thing that needed to be done was to start cleaning up all the damages from battle, but first thing the Crystal Gems insisted that Steven should do was to go straight to bed and get some sleep first, so that they could start fresh the next day. Although he was admittedly pretty exhausted, Steven barely managed to get any proper rest due to how much was on his mind and the fact that there were only a few hours left before sunrise anyway.

Now that it was bright again, Steven had spent the better part of the morning trying to think of a response to Connie who had been texting and ringing him nonstop since last night, trying to inquire as to what was happening. The problem was that Steven had no idea what to tell her. He had already spoken to father, Greg, about the recent event, giving him a brief description of what happened. Much to Steven's surprise and concern, Greg did not handle the news very well, having retreated to his sanctuary of his van to find the most comforting music to calm himself.

That particular exchange did give Steven any boots of confidence. If his father, the most laid-back Steven knew, would react like that, he could only imagine what Connie would say. She'd be terrified once she learned what had happened. And that wasn't even the worst of it. Onyx and Pearl were still out there. What if they came back? Or worse, what if more Homeworld Gems showed up? What was Steven going to do then? What if Connie got hurt? Steven shuddered, as he couldn't even begin to imagine that.

It was then, the phone started to vibrate again, Connie's name flashing across the screen. Panicking Steven, set the phone down to the sand and plugged his fingers into his ears, refusing to listen to the ringing until it had stopped. Pulling his fingers out from his ears, Steven groaned wearily as he lay back on the sand, staring up the clouds, knowing that he could not avoid talking to Connie forever.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Just then, Steven heard a voice nearby. At first, he assumed it was one of the Gems coming to check up on him, but he soon realized that the voice was male, and it was not one that he recognized.

Curious, Steven rose up and turning his head around until he spotted to see a young boy, looking not much bigger than Steven, come walking out from around a large piece of the ship. The boy was wearing a small grey jacket with a satchel bag and strap hung over his shoulder. His skin tone was a slightly darker complexion than Steven's own, like someone who was tanned, yet it appeared to be a natural color. His hair was a light brown and was short cut very short, particularly along the sides

In his hands, he was holding a video camera, which was aimed down at a small blue crab scuttling across the along the sand, either oblivious or indifferent to the fact the young boy was filming it. While filming, the boy was also providing narration to the crab as it moved in front of him.

"The stalwart crab treks through the unforgiving wasteland of sand. Always he moves sideways. Perhaps a natural way of evading predators? Or perhaps he is simply too afraid to move forward? He neither runs from the past nor blindly charges toward the future. There is only the present, going from side to side. "

The boy spoke with an almost orator-eques voice, though it came as a rather high-pitched as though he was unpractised. The crab then came to abrupt halt, forcing the young boy to do the same, his camera still focused on the tiny crustacean at all times, unaware that Steven was watching as well.

"Suddenly the crab stops. Has he reached the evitable crossroads of his arduous journey? He tethers, he hesitates, as he ponders his next move. All paths are open for him, but only one may lead to his ultimate destiny"

From behind a nearby rock, a second blue crab appeared. It turned to face the first crab, before waving its large pincer in some kind of greeting. The first seemed to hesitate before it retuned the gesture with a wave of its own. The two crabs scuttled closer together, until they were standing opposite each other.

"A second crab appears. What now? Will these two crustacean titans clash for dominion over this land? Will they unite to build a better beach than the one they have found? Or will they simply pass one another by, never knowing what might have been if they had simply chosen to –"

The boy was so caught up his privately constructed narrative that he failed to notice that Steven was now standing just a few feet in front of him and leaving him unprepared when he raised his camera upward, seeing him for the very first time. The boy yelped at this sudden surprise, startled as he stumbled backwards, his camera now bouncing between his hands as he clumsily tried to gain hold of it, until he tripped over his own feet and fell back to the ground, the camera flying through the air, landing right into Steven's hands.

"Um, hi" Steven greeted, waving down at the boy, while holding his camera.

"Hello" the boy replied back, managing a small smile, although he appeared far more flushed. "How, um…. how long were you listening?"

"Pretty much all of it" Steven said, handing the boy back his camera.

The boy sighed, a slight blush appearing across his cheeks as he glanced down to the ground, avoiding Steven's eye. "Yeah, that's usually my luck. I must have sounded really stupid" he said, quietly, taking the camera back from Steven.

"What? No, I thought it sounded pretty cool." Steven said with sincere earnest. He offered the boy his hand, and after a brief moment of hesitation, the boy accepted, allowing Steven to help him back to his feet. "Were you making a documentary?"

"Um, no, I just…like to film stuff, sometimes…when I'm alone". The boy sighed again, rubbing the back of his head, now looking quite embarrassed. "I'm sorry if I was disturbing you, I thought this beach was empty"

"Oh no, that's ok" Steven said quickly, not wanting to give the wrong impression. "The beach is for everyone, but I didn't think anyone was back in town yet". Steven gave a boy another quick once over, now doubly sure that he had never met this person before. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you a tourist?"

"I'm new in this area actually" the boy replied, the colour in his cheeks now fading. "My Mom and I just moved near here today. We were supposed to move in yesterday, but we were told that everybody had to evacuate because of a tidal wave. Or because aliens were invading? No one seems to keep the story straight"

"Oh, well then, welcome to Beach City!" Steven said, opening out his arms, knowing at once he had to make a good impression for a new arrival. "I'm Steven. Steven Universe."

Steven extended his hand out for the boy to shake. Just as before, the boy seemed to hesitate for a moment, before he returned the handshake.

"I'm Abel" he said.

"Abel for what?" Steven asked.

The boy sighed and rolled his eyes, with an amused yet slightly exasperated look on his face. "Ok, we gotta get _that_ joke out of the way. My name _is_ Abel. Abel Xenakis. But people just call me Abe for short"

"Well, nice to meet you, Abe Xenakis. How do you like Beach City so far?"

"It's pretty nice" Abe said. "The travel brochure said it's got the best beaches in all of Delmarva. But it does seem a little, um…cluttered?" he said after a short pause, likely having tried hard to come up with the politest term that he could think of to describe the current state of the town.

Steven gave an apologetic smile, realizing that the town was certainly not up to its usual standards due to the recent Gem activity. "Sorry. Beach City isn't normally like this. There was just a… commotion yesterday" Steven said, choosing the least exciting term that he could think of to describe what happened.

Abe glanced around the beach, as if only now taking notice of the enormous mountains of broken metal and alien machinery that surrounded them.

"Soooooo….what's all this about?" he asked, trying to sound casual as he made a encompassing gesture with his hand. "It looks like something pretty crazy must have happened here"

"Yeah….pretty crazy alright" Steven muttered awkwardly under his breath, while unconsciously moving his hand up to his right eye. This action didn't go unnoticed by Abe who was now looking more closely at Steven's eye.

"That looks like a pretty bad black eye" he said, curious, though not unsympathetic. "Were you in a fight or something?"

"Well….I…"

At that moment, Steven's phone, which he was still holding in his left hand, suddenly started to ring. Reacting as though he had just been bitten by a snake, Steven yelled loudly and tossed the phone in the air, where it was swiftly caught by Abe. No sooner had the phone left his hand, Steven threw up a large pink bubble around his body, shielding him from any form of attack.

Abe showed no signs of surprise at what had just occurred, other than to give a somewhat bemused glance between the still ringing phone and the pink bubble encasing the terrified looking Steven. Once the phone stopped ringing, Steven slowly lowered the bubble, yet he appeared no less tense than before.

"I'm…. guessing you don't want to take this call?" Abe said awkwardly, handing Steven back the phone.

Steven sighed, feeling embarrassed with himself for reacting like that in front of Abe. "Sorry, it's just, it's my friend Connie. She keeps trying to call me"

"Is she mad at you?" Abe asked, clearly confused.

Steven shook his head. "No, she's calling because…well…" Steven groaned and rubbed his hand through his hair, feeling sore in his head and sick in his stomach. "She wants to talk to me, and I'm trying to work how to tell her about all this really crazy, bad stuff that happened to me. But I don't know what to say to her without making her worry. I told my Dad about it earlier and he completely freaked out"

"Maybe your Dad was just overreacting?" Abe suggested, a little feebly. "It couldn't have been that bad"

"It was pretty bad" Steven said, with a painful expression.

Abe slowly glanced around at the beach once again, and then back to Steven. "Bad as in getting a black eye, or bad as in….all of this kind of bad?" he said, gesturing to the debris again.

"All of this" Steven confirmed quietly, nodding his head.

"Yikes" Abe grimaced slightly. "Is that why you were alone?"

Steven nodded again, before sinking down to the sand, hugging his knees around his chest, looking both alone and scared. Abe stared at Steven for a short while, before he sat down beside him, resting his satchel and camera on his lap, now looking more solemn.

"Yeah, I like to be alone when stuff bothers me too" he said.

"You do?" Steven said, looking up at Abe with some surprise.

Abe nodded, absently holding his camera, his attention seemingly divided. "Sometimes when things really get to me, I find the best thing to do is to take some time for myself. I try to sort out my feelings on my own without getting people involved."

"Does that…help?" Steven asked.

Abe shrugged slightly as he continued to fiddle with his camera, without looking at Steven. "A little. It feels a little easier when you aren't making your problems other people's problems. Then it's twice as hard. Sometimes you just have to work things out on your own."

"You mean, you shut other people out?" Steven said, with a grim realization. "You stop being friends with them?"

"Huh?" Abe looked up at Steven, now giving him his full attention. "No, no, you should definitely still stay friends. What I mean, ah…" Abe seemed to struggle with his words for a moment before he continued, obviously not wanting the meaning of his words to be mistaken. "Sometimes, you just have to avoid bringing up anything bad when you talk to people. If I have to talk people about any negative stuff, I just say what I need to say to let them know that I'm fine and they shouldn't be worried"

"How do you that?" Steven asked.

"What do you mean?" Abe looked at Steven with some surprise, as though he wasn't expecting Steven to ask him such a question.

"How do you tell someone what's wrong without them getting worried about you?"

"Oh, I…well I….just, um you know what, forget I said anything" Abe said, quickly, looking down at the sand once again. "It's probably not helpful

"No, really I want to hear" Steven said, shifting his position so that he was now sitting on his heels, his hands resting on his knees as he looked directly at Abe.

"W-why are you asking?" Abe said.

"Because I want to know what you do"

"But…why are you asking me what to do?" Abe asked, confused. "We only just met"

"Why would that matter?" Steven replied, matching Abe's confusion.

Abe now began to fidget nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I don't know…I mean, wouldn't you rather get advice from one of your friends instead?"

Steven paused for a moment as he considered Abe's statement, before asking his next question without any hint of hesitation.

"Would you like to be friends with me?"

Abe blinked once, looking as though Steven had just asked to cut off one of his arms. "Friends? Y-you want to be friends with me? Just like that?

"Yeah" Steven smiled and nodded

"D-don't you need to know more about me first?" Abe said, now sounding like he had just been offered a highly important job that he was vastly unqualified for. "Or don't we have to do something really memorable together to cement the occasion?"

Steven chuckled a little. "Making friends is actually a lot less complicated than you'd think" he said, as he couldn't help but think fondly back to the time when he and Connie first met. "You really just need to start talking to them. You said that you liked be alone when things bother you, so maybe we can be there for each?"

"So….you really want to be friends?" Abe asked, quietly, sounding as though he really couldn't believe it.

Steven simply smiled back and nodded in confirmation. "As long as it's ok with you. Nobody is forcing you to-"

"Yes!" Abe exclaimed his answer so loud and so quickly that Steven nearly jumped from the sand in surprise. Abe calmed himself and spoke again with the same passive and quiet tone as before. "I mean, yeah, I would like to be friends with you"

Steven smiled again. Seeing the ecstatic expression that Abe was trying to hide gave Steven a very good feeling inside, a feeling he made been missing for the last while. But now back to the matter at hand. "So, now that we're friends, do you want to tell me what you think?"

Abe quickly adopted a more serious expression, seeing that he was now being put to the test. "Oh, right. Let's see. So, you don't want to ignore your friend and you don't want to tell her anything, so she won't be worried. So, my advice would be to talk to her, but avoid talking about anything you think might upset her"

"Does that work?" Steven asked, trying to come off as too sceptical.

"Yeah, it works" Abe replied simply. "It's easy. When she asks you something, just give a vague or non-committal answer. Something simple, like, 'I'm fine' or 'it was no big deal'"

"That kinda sounds like… lying?" Steven said, slowly.

"Don't think of it was lying, you're just not giving away that much detail" Abe said, unconcerned. "Just leave out all the bad parts and say that everything is ok now"

"But everything's… not ok" Steven said quietly.

Abe sighed, flashing a brief expression of frustration across his face. "Look sometimes bad things happen and people always want to kick up a fuss, and they start worrying about you every second of the day." Abe's voice gradually rose with more energy as he spoke, before lowering itself, his tone becoming passive once again. "Whatever it was, its best just to forget about the whole thing and tell everyone that you're fine now, so there's no need to prod further. I mean, it's easier than just bringing up all those unpleasant thoughts"

Steven went quiet for a moment, considering what he had just heard. At first, what Abe was proposing sounded a little dishonest to Steven, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea seemed to appeal to him. He couldn't change what had happened, but it was all in the past now, no matter how unpleasant the whole experience was. In fact, if it was such a bad experience, then that would be even more reason not to bring it up in conversation.

"You're right" Steven said, quietly, before his face broke into wide smile and threw his hands up. "You're right! I should just forget the whole thing! It's all over now and I made it through….more or less. I don't need to be bothering Connie with all that bad stuff."

Steven happy expression then dropped again. "But she'll still want to know what happened. What should I say if she asks me something?"

"Remember, you just have to give as little detail as possible while keeping her feeling assured. Let's try to practice for a second. For example, how did you get that black eye?"

Steven touched the skin underneath his eye, vividly recalling how it happened. "Well, there was this big fight with this Gem named Black Onyx and…"

"No, no, no" Abe said at once, shaking his head. "That's already too much detail. You have it kept simple. Repeat after me. I hurt my eye….

"I….hurt my eye…" Steven said slowly.

"By doing"

"By doing…?"

"Stuff" Abe finished.

"What stuff?" Steven asked.

"You know, all the stuff that you do all the time" Abe said, waving his hand in a disinterested fashion sounding as though talking about the subject any further would be tedious. Steven stared hard at Abe, trying to piece together the method.

"See, you just have to keep your responses vague and non-committal" Abe said. "So, let's try again. How did you hurt your eye, Steven?"

Steven paused, trying hard to think of how to formulate his response, remembering what Abe said. Vague and non-committal.

"I hurt my eye by doing… stuff" Steven said. He paused. "You know, the stuff that I normally do. I mean, I barely even noticed it until you pointed it out" Steven added with a nonchalant shrug, which was enough to impress Abe

"There you go" he said, sounding pleased. "You're already picking it up at an uncanny, yet believable pace"

Steven was about to ask if they could do another bit of practice, when his phone began to ring once again. Without even checking, he knew that it had to be Connie calling. At first, he considered muting the call again, but then Abe spoke again.

"Don't worry, you got this" he said. "Remember, as little detail as possible"

Still feeling uncertain, Steven took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Hi…Connie" he said, hesitantly.

"Steven! There you are". Steven winced. Connie already sounded worried. "You haven't been answering your phone. What's going on?"

Steven glanced at Abe, who gave him an encouraging thumbs up.

"Oh, not much" Steven replied, keeping his voice steady and flat. "You know, the usual"

"You said in your message that there was a giant sword in the sky and that we all might die? What happened?"

"Ah, you know, it was nothing really. Just Gem stuff. But it's all over now, so it's no big deal"

"Steven, are you alright? You sound…strange"

"Yeah, I'm fine" Steven replied. He then spoke in a very rapid manner, taking the chance to escape. "So, I gotta go now, Connie, nice talking to you, bye"

"But-!"

Steven quickly hung up the phone. For a moment, he held his breath and closed his eyes, wondering if the phone might just explode into a million pieces in his hand, but soon relaxed again once it was clear nothing bad was about to happen.

"It worked" he whispered. "It worked! I spoke to Connie without mentioning all the bad parts!"

"See, there you go!" Abe complimented.

"Steven!"

Steven turned his head up in the direction of Beach House and could make out the familiar triangle shape figure of Peridot standing at the rafter in the distance, calling down to him. "Steven, come back inside please!"

Knowing this must be something important, Steven rose to his feet and headed toward the Beach House, waving goodbye to Abe as he left. "I gotta go. Thanks so much for the help, Abe!"

"You're welcome" Abe called back. "Hey, um, Steven?"

Steven stopped in the middle of his run and turned around to Abe, who seemed to struggle with his next words.

"Now that we're friends, does that mean we…um, can hang out later?" he asked tentatively, sounding as though the very prospect of him and Steven seeing each again was in doubt. "If that's ok?"

"Sure" Steven replied, earnestly. He then frowned in confusion. "Why wouldn't it be ok?"

"Oh, um, just checking" Abe replied, chuckling nervously. "I like to…double check things"

Accepting that answer with further questions, Steven waved goodbye once more to Abe, before he turned around and made his way toward the Beach House.

* * *

Steven entered into the Beach House, where he found Crystal Gems were waiting for him in the living room. Peridot and Lapis where standing next to the window, observing the wreckage of the beach, although Peridot was forced to crane her neck up and stand on her toes in order to get a better view. Steven still hadn't fully acclimated to the idea of Peridot now being just as short as he was.

Jasper was standing in the kitchen, looking more surly than usual, her arms crossed as she leaned back against the counter, staring off to the wall, seemingly detached from the rest activity in the house.

And there was also Garnet, who for lack of anywhere else to be, had joined the Steven and the Crystal Gems in their home. She was sitting on the couch, examining a spork in between her hands as though it was the most fascinating object she had ever seen.

"Steven, good, you're here" Peridot greeted happily.

"We were just talking about how we start cleaning up the debris from the battle" Lapis said.

"We'll have to collect and dispose of any Gem technology before any humans find it" Peridot said. "Speaking from personal experience, they would be liable to hurt themselves playing with such advanced technology"

Though he said nothing, Steven agreed with that sentiment, recalling any number of times when they were put in danger due to some Gem technology or magical artefact.

"It'll be tough, but we'll get it done" Lapis said, sounding a more optimistic and confident. "Right, Jasper?"

Jasper made only a small grunt of acknowledgement, her eyes still focused on the wall, showing no real interest in the discussion.

"Cleaning up the beach will be our first task, but there still many problems that still lie ahead of us" Peridot said. She then paused and cleared her throat in a rather loud fashion. "Which reminds me, what are we going to do about her?"

Everyone, save for Jasper, turned to the elephant, or rather fusion, in the room that had yet to be addressed. Garnet looked up from her spork, her visor covering her eyes, and her overall expression completely blank as she appeared to scan the room.

"Garnet did risk her life to help us against Onyx and Pearl" Lapis said. "And that means she can't go back to Homeworld now"

"Well, I guess there is only one solution" Peridot said, folding her hands behind her back. She approached Garnet, throwing her hands up in the air. "Welcome, new roomie! See, that's a phrase for people sharing living quarters"

Behind Peridot, Lapis expression became uneasy, her earlier self-confidence beginning to falter at this sudden development. "Um, Peridot are you sure that Garnet staying here with us is the best idea?"

"Well, if she can't go back to Homeworld that basically makes her the same as us" Peridot replied with a simple shrug. "What better place is there for her to go?"

"That's true". Lapis sighed, still looking troubled and unsure. "But it might be a little awkward for…her. I mean, we were her enemies"

"Oh, that's all in the past" Peridot said, with a wave of her hand. "We've all grown since then, with special praise going to me in particular. What do you think, Jasper?"

Jasper finally pulled her eyes away from the section wall she had been staring at and she was now glaring darkly at Garnet. The atmosphere in the room turned incredible tense as long moments passed, with Garnet holding Jasper's unwavering stare. For a moment, Steven felt a very strong urge to step out of the room as quickly as possible.

"This isn't going to work" Jasper said, both blunt and cold, turning back to look at the wall again.

"I agree" Peridot said, nodding at once. "We will need to make some ground rules first. For starters, no unnecessary loud gatherings after 10 PM. Secondly, you must label everything in the refrigerator, edible or otherwise. Third, we will need to precure an extra cup for any toothbrushes you may to use…"

"Toothbrushes are not the problem" Jasper growled quietly, with a rising note of impatience in her voice.

Finally seeming to get the message, Peridot cleared her throat and shuffled closer to Jasper, her eyes darting occasionally onto Steven, as though checking if he was still paying attention.

"Steven might want Garnet to stay with us" Peridot muttered through her teeth, lifting her hand to one side of her mouth, in an attempt to be inconspicuous. Steven was not fooled, but he didn't want Peridot to feel discouraged.

Before Peridot or Jasper could say anything else, Garnet rose up from the couch, setting down the spork, speaking for the very first time since Steven had entered.

"No, it's alright" she said calmly. She looked around the room, briefly pausing at each of them as she spoke. "Thank you all for offering to open your home to me, but I don't plan on staying here. Please don't take as an insult either. I do appreciate that you are willing to make this effort to make me feel comfortable. But there are still a lot of things about myself that I need to figure out and I can't do that while I'm here. I'll be needed a lot of me time."

Steven couldn't help but feel a little saddened by Garnet's answer. Despite whatever else had happened, he cared deeply for her and wanted her to be safe and well. But he couldn't disagree with the reasons she had given. She needed the time to work out her own identity without other people getting involved. Steven was reminded of the conversation he had with Abe and felt even more validated in his belief that one should distance their problems from others.

"Well, if that's how you feel" Peridot said, accepting the compromised without grievance. "But you're moderately welcome to visit anytime. Steven will obviously want to keep in touch and-"

"You heard her, she said she needed some me time" Steven said abruptly. Peridot turned to look at Steven in surprise, clearly not expecting such a reaction.

"She doesn't want to make her problems other people's problems, so we should just let her be". Suddenly, Steven's phone began to ring once again, although he seemed to take no notice of it

"Steven, why is your communication device doing that?!" Peridot asked, raising her voice loudly over the noise of the phone.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just Connie" Steven shouted back.

"Aren't you going to reply to her?" Lapis asked.

Steven shook his head, still appearing as indifferent as ever, just as the phone stopped ringing. "No"

"That's odd" Peridot said curiously. "You never miss an opportunity to engage in conversation with Connie. Has something happened?"

"No, everything's fine. Nothing else to say on that". Adopting a blank expression, Steven then crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, opposite where Jasper was standing, his posture and demeanour eerily mirroring her own as they both stared off into the same direction. Peridot and Lapis shared an apprehensive look with one another, appearing somewhat concerned for the current wellbeing of their leader and their youthful charge.

After almost another minute of silence, Garnet cleated her throat and walked toward the door, turning back toward Steven just as she gripped the door handle.

"Thank you for understanding and supporting my decision, Steven" she said. "But please remember, what I want to hear from you isn't always what you should say"

Not taking her eyes off Steven, Garnet turned the doorknob with uncanny accuracy and swung the door wide open, revealing none other than Connie standing on other the side of the door, her hand already raised in mid knock.

The moment he laid eyes on Connie, Steven froze up, and for a moment he was quite certain that the floor must have disappeared from under his feet.

Momentarily caught off guard by the surprise opening of the door, Connie quickly recovered herself and rushed past Garnet into house, running right up to Steven.

"Steven! There you are! I was so worried about you and-" Connie suddenly gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth, once she got close to get a good look at Steven's face. "Oh my gosh! What happened to your eye?"

Steven felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead, but quickly composed himself, resuming the same laid-back expression as before.

"Oh, this? Nothing really" Steven said, sounding nonchalant and distant, absently slipping his hands into his pockets. "Hardly even noticed it was there"

"Nothing?!" Connie said, sounding incredulous. "Steven, what happened to you?

Steven cleared his throat slightly and then made a brief wave of his hand. "Oh, you know, the usual stuff. No big deal really"

Connie gaped at Steven with increasing confusion. "Why do you keep saying? What's gotten into you?"

"Uh…n-nothing?" Steven said, very feebly.

"Steven!" Connie snapped angrily; whatever patience she had left was now completely lost as she glared so fiercely at Steven, filling him with so much terror he almost wished he was facing Black Onyx instead. "Stop playing games and tell me what's going on right now!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Steven let out a terrified cry and ran straight out the door at full speed, right past Garnet who had yet to move an inch, her hand still on the doorknob

"Steven! Steven, get back here!" Connie yelled, giving chase to him out the door, while Garnet and the Crystal Gems continued to watch impassively as these events unfolded before them. Even Jasper came out of her reprieve to observe what was happening.

"I still don't understand these human relationships" Peridot said, shaking her head solemnly.

"Well, I think Steven did something wrong and now Connie is mad at him for it" Lapis said flatly.

"Oh, now it makes sense" Peridot replied, pleased that she had a better grasp of the situation.

"They'll work it out." Garnet said, adjusting her visor.

"Huh, I kinda like that human" Jasper said, sounding close to impressed with Connie's display of authority. "She's doesn't back down"

* * *

Steven panted loudly as he sprinted across the beach, running as fast he could, refusing to look back, although judging by the sound of her voice calling after him, he knew that Connie was not far behind him. Steven made his way into the wreckage still sprawled across the beach, hoping that maybe he could lose Connie in the maze of alien debris.

Hoping over a small metal pipe, Steven made a quick turn, squeezing through a narrow gap between two large metal. Coming out on the other side of the gap, Steven was now standing in a wide enclosure, surrounded on all sides by twisting shards of metal, mechanical components and broken, hollowed out compartments.

Up ahead of him, Steven spotted Abe sitting next to a diamond shaped piece metal sticking out of the ground; his satchel was lying next to him, alongside a small rectangular metal frame, inside of which was a transparent sheet of red glass, partially cracked, with several Gem coded symbols displaying on the surface. Upon Abe's lap was a small laptop computer, opened as he was typing away, while occasionally pausing to take a brief, intuitive glance at the rectangular frame next to him.

Steven ran toward Abe, driven more by instinct than anything else since he was the most familiar looking sight in front of Steven. Abe pulled his eyes up from his computer to see Steven running straight toward him

"Hi Steven!" Abe greeted with a smile, setting his laptop to the side as he stood up. "Did you want to hang out-?"

"It didn't work!" Steven cried desperately, cutting Abe in mid-sentence, leaving him looking both surprised and afraid at Steven's terrified wailing. "It didn't work!"

"Steven!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Steven saw Connie pushing herself through the gap in between the walls of metal, coming straight for him. Steven looked around widely for somewhere to run or hide, but in his blind panic, he opted for the first short-sighted thing he could think and ducked in behind Abe, who stood where he was, neither objecting nor questioning as to what Steven was trying to do.

Keeping his head low, Steven remained behind Abe just as Connie finally reached them, stopping directly in front of Abe.

"Um, hello" Abe said, nervously.

"Hi?" Connie said, sounding both cautious and surprised at the sight of this unexpected stranger.

"You, uh, must be Connie. I'm Abe. I'm Steven's friend.

"Okay" Connie said slowly. "Nice to meet you Abe, but I need to talk to Steven, so…"

Connie made a quick dash to try and circle around Abe to so that she could face Steven properly, but Steven quickly shuffled sideways, while keeping a firm grip on the back of Abe's jacket, pulling him in tandem so that he was still facing Connie whenever she tried to flank around him. Connie soon ran a full circle around Abe, while Steven continued to use Abe as a human shield, keeping him in a fixed position between him and Connie.

"I don't think Steven wants to talk" Abe said, once they finally stopped moving, sounding as if he was fighting the urge to be nauseous from the relentless spinning.

"Well, I do!" Connie said, with as much assertion and concern as ever. "I want to know what's going on? Why won't he face me? What happened to his eye?"

Steven felt a lump form inside his throat fighting so hard against the urge to try and say something that he was practically shaking.

"Um, I think you're upsetting him" Abe said. Steven couldn't see Abe's face, but from the sound of his voice, he soon got the impression that Abe was quickly losing his nerve under Connie's fierce demeanour

"I don't understand, I just wanted to know what's wrong" Connie said, now pleading. Steven shut his eyes tightly as he buried his head into Abe's back, knowing he would break down any second if he saw Connie's face.

"Well, maybe, Steven doesn't want to talk?" Abe suggested. "If you're his friend, maybe you should give him a bit of space?"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Connie snapped, now sounding very angry again. Steven could feel Abe flinch and backed up several feet as Connie moved in closer to him. "What kind of friends don't talk to each other? Steven and I talk all the time, but when we were talking on the phone this morning, he just wouldn't tell me anything. It felt he was trying to shut me out. Like he didn't want to talk to me anymore. I was…"

Connie paused and Steven heard the unmistakable sound of her sniffling; to his horror, he realized that she was on the verge of tears. "I was really upset, because I love talking to him, but now he doesn't want to talk to me. Did I do something? Did I say the wrong thing?"

Steven opened his eyes and lifted his head up over Abe's shoulder and he took in the full view of Connie's tear-stricken face.

"Do you not want to be friends anymore?" she asked. Her lower lip was now quivering. "Was…I a bad friend?"

"No, no!" Steven said, finally stepping out from around Abe, facing her properly. He couldn't allow Connie to think that she of all people had done anything wrong. "I do want to be friends. You didn't do anything wrong"

"Then why wouldn't you talk to me on the phone?" Connie asked, wiping away her tears, now sounding angry once again. "I tried asking you what happened, but you just kept dodging what I said. Why would you do that?"

Steven struggled to find the right words to explain himself. "Connie, I.."

"It was me. "

Steven and Connie both turned to Abe, who was now hanging his head, looking shamefaced, shuffling his feet in sand. He turned his head up and looking directly at Connie. "I'm the one who talked Steven into saying that stuff to you. He said that he was worried about talking to you, so I told him that he shouldn't say anything to worry you."

Connie made a quick look at Steven, before back to Abe again. Neither of them had say anything yet, but Abe appeared as though he was being scolded.

"I thought I was giving good advice. I didn't mean….". Abe closed his eyes tightly, looking almost as though he was in pain as he spoke. "I didn't mean to start a fight"

Steven groaned wearily and buried his face in his hands. How could he have let things get so badly out of hand? First, he had ignored Connie and now he had ended up making Abe feel terrible as well after he had tried to help him. He had to clear things up before they got any worse.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry" Steven said. He then turned to Connie. "I didn't know what to say to you without making you worry"

"I've been worried this whole time because I don't know what happened." Connie replied. She gave him another stern look. "Steven, I want to hear what you've been through. And unless you tell straight me to my face that we aren't friends anymore, then I am not leaving without a full explanation"

Seeing that familiar, determined look in Connie's eyes, Steven sighed, resigning to the fact that there was no avoiding this any longer. Telling Connie the truth may likely have been better than allowing any further miscommunication to make things worse.

"Ok. I'll tell you everything, but I don't think you're gonna like it" Steven said, grimly.

"Let me decide that, ok?" Connie said, giving him a kind smile.

Steven and Connie stared at one another for a short while. They finally broken eye contact when they saw Abe placing his laptop computer, along with the metal frame he had been examining, into his satchel, hanging over his shoulder.

"Hey, wait. Abe, where are you going?" Steven asked.

Abe flinched and slowly turned around to face Steven and Connie. "Um, I thought maybe I should leave?"

"You don't have to go" Steven protested at once.

Abe gripped the strap of his satchel, looking increasingly uncomfortable, "I-I don't want to get in the way of you two…I mean this seems kinda personal. And I already made a mess of things"

Connie stepped closer to Abe, who immediately tensed up at her presence, looking as though he was expecting her to start yelling at him again.

"You said that you were Steven's friend, right?" Connie's expression softened before she took Abe by his hand. "I'd also like to hear about how you two met"

Abe blushed slightly as Connie gripped his hand tightly but accepted the invitation without resistance, allowing Connie to lead him back to Steven before all three them sat down on the beach. Steven took a deep breath, finally ready to talk.

* * *

"And that's the whole story" Steven finished. It had taken more than an hour, but he finally managed to tell Connie and Abe the full details of everything had happened to him over the last two days. Occasionally he paused and had to explain some extra details to Abe who was still largely unfamiliar with every aspect of Steven's extraordinary lifestyle.

There was a prolonged silence among the three of them. Connie was staring out over the ocean with an intense gaze, taking her time as she processed everything, while Abe was hugging his legs to his chest, staring down at his feet with a detached and solemn expression. Steven waited patiently for one of them to respond. Though he was still concerned over their reactions, he couldn't help but feel relieved once he got everything off his chest.

"So, Black Onyx and Pearl are still out there somewhere?" Connie said, finally.

Steven nodded, looking out over the ocean. "And so is Amethyst. They could be anywhere by now." Steven hesitantly turned to Connie. "Are you ok?"

"Are _you_ ok?" Connie asked, sounding as though her own wellbeing was the furthest thing from her mind. "You're the one whose been through everything. The least I could do is just listen"

"No"

Steven and Connie both turned to Abe, who was resting his chin on his knees, looking very melancholy. "The least that you _did_ was ask. Steven went through all that terrible stuff and I didn't even ask him about it. I'm such a jerk". His voice was soft, yet it carried an unmistakable note of self-resentment.

"What?" Steven said, startled by Abe's change in tone. "Abe, you're not a jerk. It's my fault, I'm the one who didn't want to talk about it"

"Yeah, and then I said you shouldn't talk about it to Connie either and that just started a big fight" Abe replied, not sounding the least bit uplifted by Steven's words, hugging his legs tighter to his chest. "I'm the one who shouldn't have said anything"

Connie shuffled closer and put a consoling hand on Abe's shoulder. "Hey, don't say that. You just said what you thought would be the most helpful". Connie then grimaced slightly. "I mean, ok, maybe it wasn't very _helpful_ advice, but at least you tried"

Abe groaned and placed his hands on either side of his head. "Why do I always mess things up just by talking?"

"Abe, I wouldn't have done what you said unless I agreed with it in the first place" Steven said firmly. "I honestly felt relieved when you said the same thing that I was feeling. That's why I felt so sure it was right thing to do". Steven sighed, now finally understanding the full scope of his own mistake.

_"What I want to hear from you isn't always what you should say"_

"Friends shouldn't just say what you want to hear from them" Steven said. "That's not fair to anyone"

Abe lowered his hands from down his head, although he still didn't look entirely too relieved as he sighed heavily. "Guess I have a lot to learn about a friend"

"Don't worry" Connie said, giving Abe an encouraging smile. "I've had a lot of practice being Steven's friend. But it'll twice as easy for you, since you get to be friends with both of us"

Abe lifted his head up, gaping at Connie in disbelief. "Wait you…you want to be friends with me too?"

"Of course, I do" she replied kindly. "Besides, Steven's gonna need all the friends he can right now"

Now it was Steven's turn to gape at Connie in disbelief. Although he was happy to see her become friends with Abe, he wasn't expecting her to remain friends with him. "But, after everything I said, you still…"

"Yeah I do" Connie answered firmly. "I want to be a part of your universe".

"A-a-nd I just made two friends in my first day in this town" Abe piped up nervously. "No way I am giving that up."

At first Steven thought he should try and say something to dissuade them but seeing the determined expression on Connie's face and the anxious expression on Abe's, he soon came to accept that there was nothing he could say to make them cut ties with him. And Connie was right. Steven needed all the friends he could get right now

"Thank you. Both of you" he said, feeling immensely grateful at having not one, but two good human friends in his life.

Suddenly, Steven heard then honking of a familiar horn nearby. The three kids all turned around to see none other than Greg pulling alongside them on the beach. And Greg was now alone. Garnet, for one reason or another, was riding on top of the van, sitting in a crossed legged pose as though she was in middle of a mediation, clearly unperturbed by the fact she was resting herself on a moving vehicle.

"Kiddo! There you are!" Greg said, taking off his seatbelt and stepping out of the van. "Oh hey Connie, do you need a ride home?"

"Oh, Dad, are you doing okay?" Steven asked hesitantly, recalling their last conversation.

"I got it out of my system." Greg replied, as calm and easy going as ever, which was enough to convince Steven that he was indeed feeling better since they had last spoke. "I'm back to being your cool Dad. Also, I got some really good advice from your friend Garnet there". Greg pointed his thumb over his shoulder to Garnet, who was still sitting on top of the van.

"Hi Steven" Garnet greeted casually, waving down to them.

Steven waved back at Garnet, before turning to Greg with surprise. "Wait, is Garnet living with you now, Dad?"

"I offered to help her find a place in town, but she says she's pretty comfortable staying up on top of my van for now." Greg explained. "It'll be kinda like having a bunk mate, I guess. And maybe later the two of us could listen to some my favourite soundtracks"

"That won't happen" Garnet replied flatly. "Ever"

Greg merely shrugged and chuckled a little at the blunt dismissal. It was then that he took notice of Abe, who was standing close behind Connie, staring at back Greg with a wide-eyed expression.

"Hey, who's your new friend?" Greg asked.

"This is Abe" Steven said. "He's my new friend. And Connie's as well"

"Well next to meet you, Abe". Greg approached the young boy and his shook hand, while giving him a warm and friendly smile. "You new in town?"

"Uh, yeah" Abe replied. "Just moved here"

"Well, you're in good company" Greg said, releasing his hand. "You need a ride home too?"

"Oh, thank you, but I don't want to be any trouble" Abe said, now looking quite shy at such an offer.

"Hey, if I didn't want trouble, I wouldn't have become a parent." Greg said, with an unconcerned and confident smirk. "I'm sure I can handle anything you can throw at me"

Greg smiled again and gave Abe a playful ruffle of his hair, while Abe continued to stare dumbly at Greg as he now walked with Connie to his van.

"So, Connie, how's things been with you?" he asked.

"Eh, you know, same old" Connie replied perfectly casual as she began to converse with Greg as though he was a lifelong friend.

Steven smiled, watching Connie and his father walk toward the van. Deep down, he still felt worried about the future and what would happen to him next. But for now, Steven was glad that he had finally cleared the air and he was even more pleased now that he had a made a new friend in Abe. Steven glanced toward Abe and it was then he finally noticed the way his new friend was looking at Greg, with something that may have been akin to a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

"Is something wrong, Abe?" Steven asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing" Abe said absently, shaking his head after taking one last look at Greg again as he opened the backseat door for Connie. "Your Dad just kinda reminds me a little of my Dad"

"Really?" Steven said, surprised at such an unexpected detail. "Is that a problem?""

Abe shook his head and muttered under his breath. "No, not so long as he isn't married to my Mom"


	16. At Your Own Pace

Peridot gritted her teeth, her face turning a deeper shade of green as she tried with all her strength to lift up a rectangle block of metal with her bare hands. She squatted her legs as she furiously pulled at the block, which was lodged deeply in the sand, but it would not so much as budge for her no matter how hard she tried. Across from her, Steven was busy picking up smaller scraps of metal using a grabber arm and dropping them into a large trash bag. He then noticed Peridot struggling pull the block free from the sand.

"Here, Peridot, let me help you with that" he said, setting down the bag and the grabber. Peridot back away and said nothing, only watching with a slightly sour expression as Steven easily pulled the block metal she had been struggling out of the sand, lifting it over his head.

"If I still my limb enhancers, I could easily move this debris" she said, dismissively.

"You don't have any more that you can use?" Steven asked, setting the block down on the ground.

Peridot sighed in annoyance as she started to pick up the smaller scraps of metal and placing them in Steven's bag. "No, that was my only set. They were confiscated once we had been captured and I have to assume they were destroyed when the ship crashed since I can find no trace of them."

"Well, it's ok to ask for help" Steven said, kindly. "I'll always be here to help you out when you need it. Here, maybe you could try this?"

Steven offered the grabber arm to Peridot. She squeezed the handle a few times, watching as the hook opened and closer for her, as though she was testing the merits. Steven picked up the trash bag, but then felt the contents fall out from underneath it.

"Oh, no, the bag ripped." Steven moaned, holding the bag to see the small tear under it. "Maybe I can borrow another one from Lars at the Big Donut? Or maybe we look for a wheel barrel instead?"

Peridot grumbled under her breath absently poking at some of the debris with the grabber arm, as eye wander across the beach, until she spotted something which caught her attention. "Wait, I think I have a better idea."

Finding a large, flat sheet of metal sticking out of the sand and using some wiring as rope, Peridot manage to construct a makeshift sled, which she quickly put to good use, loading it up with as many metal pieces as she could fine, both large and small.

"See? This is much more efficient" Peridot said proudly, riding along in the sled, standing atop the pile of the debris it was carrying, feeling particularly tall once again, using the grabber arm to easily scope up additional pieces of metal off the ground while Steven remained in front to pull them along.

"Yeah… sure is" Steven said, doing his best to try and sound enthusiastic about Peridot's idea, though he was starting to find it little difficult to remain positive as he felt the sled gradually become heavier, the longer he pulled it.

After gathering up as many items as they could and as many as Steven could cart, they brought the sled toward the main pile of the debris that lay in the center of the beach, just below the Beach House. Lapis circled the pile from overhead, using a massive pair of water hands to drop in another load of metal onto the heap. Finally, there came Jasper, carrying a huge metal slab over her head, dropping it onto the pile with everything else. Steven took one last look around the beach, double checking that they hadn't missed so much as a speck of metal.

"That looks like all of it" Steven said, feeling pleased with a job well done. It had taken the better part of the week, but they finally had managed to clean up just about every last scrape of Onyx's destroyed Gem warship, being careful to collect everything they could, down to the smallest nut and bolt. Curiously though, Jasper had ordered that they gather up all the debris together into one large pile first before proceeding to dispose of any of it. Steven decided that Jasper must have thought it would be easier to get rid of the debris if it was in one spot.

"So, now want?" Lapis asked, landing on the ground next Jasper. "Do you want to bury all this in the ocean?"

"No" Jasper said. "We're not getting rid of all this material and Gem tech just yet. We can use this for ourselves."

"Perhaps, but the technology of this ship was more advanced than anything I ever encountered before" Peridot said cautiously. "I would think, given what happened when I tried to reverse engineer those warp cubes, that you would understand this might not be the best course of action, Jasper."

"That's why you and Steven will be doing it together this" Jasper replied simply.

"We are?" Steven asked, confused.

There was a brief paused before Peridot pointed her finger up at Jasper, smirking widely. "Aha! I see through your cleverly disguised plot Jasper. You say Steven and I will do it together, but what you really mean, is for us to fuse again into Prasiolite!"

"Wait, you do?" Lapis asked, turning to Jasper in surprise, apparently not having seen through Jasper's intentions as quickly Peridot did. "Why would you want Steven and Peridot to fuse again?"

"When they fused before, they were able build that massive cannon using parts from Onyx's ship" Jasper explained. "Now that we've collect every part of it, they can rebuild it again."

"But why would we need that cannon?" Steven asked.

"Onyx was the strongest opponent we ever faced" Jasper said. "That cannon was powerful enough to take him down. Imagine if we had a dozen of those same weapons at our disposal, we'd be ready to take him apart when shows up again. With Prasiolite's abilities, we could build an entire arsenal of powerful weapons."

Steven gave hesitant glance to Peridot, who herself looked rather intrigued by what Jasper was proposing. They hadn't had much time to talk about the fact they had successfully achieved a fusion together. Given everything else that been going on at the time, it seemed to fall underneath Steven's radar. In fact, it was only now that Jasper had brought the subject up, did Steven realize that he and Peridot could potentially fuse again if they wanted to.

"But maybe they don't need to fuse?" Lapis said. "Maybe they can figure out how to rebuild the cannon by themselves?"

"I don't think that'll work" Peridot said, after a brief pause, her hand over her chin as she appeared pensive. "When we were building things as Prasiolite, it was…..well different. There wasn't necessarily a sense of direction or logic at the time. It was a like a process that seemed to adapt and improvise upon itself while it was happening."

"It was sorta like that we just felt like doing something and then it just…well happened" Steven said, trying to explain it the best he could, although he wasn't sure he fully understood it either.

"That's called instinct" Jasper said, as simple as explanation as one could get. "This time all you need to do is focus. If you can build a weapon like that by without even trying, just think of what you could do when you really apply yourselves."

"But….can Steven and Peridot even fuse again?" Lapis asked, hesitantly.

"Dunno" Jasper said, shrugging her shoulders. She gave Steven and Peridot a patronizing stare. "Can you?"

Hearing Jasper's taunt, Steven and Peridot shared one brief with each other, before their faces broke into wide, cocky grins.

"Of course we can!" Peridot exclaimed, brimming with confidence, pumping her fist in the air.

"Yeah, we can handle it!" Steven said, sounding just as confident.

Jasper smirked, looking satisfied by their response. "Huh, good"

Lapis, however, still appeared uncertain. "Are you two sure? I mean, Fusion can be….unpredictable" she said.

"It's better they try now so we can figure out any weaknesses or mistakes while we the time to spare" Jasper said. "It's better than trying and risking it failing in the middle of a battle."

"Hmm, I can't fault Jasper's logic" Peridot said, rubbing her chin. "I do also relish any opportunity to flaunt my skills in front of others."

"Don't worry, Lapis" Steven said gently, approaching her just when it seemed she was about to voice her concern again. "Peridot and I will be ok. I think reason we can fuse in the first place is because we're such a good team. And a good team trusts each other."

Lapis look at Steven's earnest expression, before she released a tired sigh and smiled, knowing there was nothing she could say to stop this from happening. "You're right" she said, patting Steven on the head. "If anyone can do this, it's you two."

Both Steven and Peridot smiled in excitement, knowing that they now had full permission. Without exchanging any words or instructions, they each took up position on the beach, standing a few meters adjacent to each other. Moving symmetrically, they slowly raised their arms in the air, rotating them towards each other while shuffling their feet to the side, moving closer together, chanting in unison.

"It's…."

"Time…"

"For…"

"Fusion!"

Just when they were less a foot away from each other, Steven clapped his left hand to Peridot's right hand. Barely a second after they made contact, the two of them were both enveloped in a burst of white light, their bodies merging together, shrinking down into single, tiny entity that now stood before Jasper and Lapis.

"Greetings friends!" Prasiolite cheered, raising all four of their arms in the air, snapping their goggles up to their forehead, Steven's trademark pink shirt hanging over their tiny torso, their hair the same row of curly brown balls. "Ah, it feels so good to be back again. What a beautiful day. The sky is clear, and the sun is shining for all of us to see. Hey, think if we stare at the sun long enough are eyeballs will catch fire? Come to think of it are eyeballs are flammable? How come things have to catch fire anyway? Why doesn't anything catch water instead? Maybe it's because water is running all the time, and no one can catch it? Oh, both fire and water have so many great qualities, I can't figure out which is the best. I can't even figure speech out sometimes"

Prasiolite scurried up and down the beach, debating the dichotomy of fire and water, oblivious to all else as Jasper and Lapis watched them in silence. While Lapis appeared amused by Prasiolite's energetic behavior, Jasper was in mood for games. She stepped forward and opened her mouth to speak, when Prasiolite suddenly bounded up into the air and latched onto Jasper's face, their tiny hands pushing her cheeks together as they stared into her eyes with a mad gleam.

"Oh I know! Let's get two hamster and name them Fire and Water so we can have them race and see who wins! We can build a racetrack and stadium and speakers and jumbotrons and one of those little popcorn maker machines to sell popcorn. Hey, how does corn pop anyway? Why isn't all food in popped form?"

"Enough!" Jasper snapped loudly, before Prasiolite could prattle on any further, plucking the tiny Fusion off her face and setting them back on the ground. "This isn't a play date. You have work to do"

"I do?" Prasiolite said, tilting their head to the side, with a confused expression.

"Remember, you have to try and rebuild the cannon you made in our last fight together?" Lapis said, gently.

Prasiolite scratched their chin, until their expression lit up in recognition. "Oh, you mean Prasiolite's Optimally Pristine-Penetration Optionally Percussion cannon. Or P.O.P-P.O.P. cannon for short. How could forget that work of art? Dd you see the size of it? It was so huge that it inspired fear, but it fired such cute little destabilization darts. It was in equal parts terrifying and adorable. It was some my finest work. And it was totally NOT A DEUS EX MACHINA!"

"Who are they are yelling at?" Lapis asked, as Prasiolite was now angrily yelling a section of space directly in front of them.

Whoever Prasiolite was referring to, it didn't matter to Jasper as she seemed to be on the verge of yelling once again as they were getting further and further off track. Curling her lip back in her snarl, yet still managing to speak in a controlled manner, she addressed Prasiolite again. "Yes, that's why you need to rebuild it"

"Rebuild it?" Prasiolite said, scratching their head. "You mean, do the same thing again? Hmm, that sounds kinda boring"

"It's nesscessary" Jasper insisted. "We need that cannon to fight Onyx, so you have to rebuild it"

"I suppose technically I _could_ build it again" Prasiolite said slowly, while absently bouncing up and down on their heels as they considered what Jasper was proposing. "But equally technically, I have no idea how to do that"

"How can you not know how to build it?" Lapis asked, in surprise. "Who could know how to make it but you?"

"I'm not really sure how I did it" Prasiolite replied, while doing a casual backflip in the air for no apparent reason. "Not like I wrote it down. It sorta came to me, you know? I just did the very next thing that came into my head."

"Then you make it come to you again" Jasper said sternly, grabbing Prasiolite in midair and setting them firmly back on the ground once again. "You have to take control of your abilities and use them to our advantage."

"Hmm" Prasiolite rubbed their chin pensively as they examined the massive pile of mechanical rubble that lay before them. "This is going to be tricky."

Prasiolite walked over to a small pile of metal and loose wiring that was nearest to them. In the blink of an eye, they spun on their heel and transformed into a small green whirlwind, engulfing the pile and in less than a second, the whirlwind dissipated to reveal Prasiolite standing beside large, square shaped box with a small nozzle on the side. Prasiolite produced a small mug from behind their back, labeled 'World's Number 1 Gem'; where that mug could possibly have come from would likely remain a mystery for all time. Prasiolite placed the mug under the nozzle and then pressed a button the side of the machine. Hot, brown colored liquid poured into the mug as well as a small amount of milk, resulting a perfect blend of rich coffee.

Prasiolite took a deep sip of their freshly made coffee, with a serious expression, placing their remaining three hands on their hips. "Well, looks we have a hard, grueling task ahead of us, filled with potentially dozens of disappointing yet hilarious failures". They took another sip of their coffee before their face broke into a wide smile. "And the easiest way to get through that is with a montage!"

"Wait what?" Jasper spluttered incredulous. "No, no. No monta-!"

* * *

_Rebuilding the P.O.P-P.O.P Cannon - Attempt 1_

Despite Jasper's objections, she soon found herself alongside Lapis, watching as Prasiolite tried to recreate their cannon. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that this was going to be anything but a simple or easy task, much to Jasper's chagrin.

To begin with, Prasiolite had built a tall pogo stick, which they used to bounce up and down across the beach in front of Jasper and Lapis. Hardly an impressive feat of engineering. Prasiolite suddenly hopped off the pogo stick, apparently unsatisfied with its performance as they made some quick adjustment to the spring at the bottom. They climbed onto the pogo stick once more and took only single bounce. When the spring recoiled, they were launched upwards like a miniature rocket, sending them straight into the stratosphere. Jasper and Lapis watched the sky for for several long moments in silence, before Prasiolite soon came crashing down face first to the ground again, followed shortly by the pogo stick which landed safely next them due to the deployment of a built-in parachute, which Prasiolite had taken the precaution of adding.

_Rebuilding the P.O.P-P.O.P Cannon Attempt 14_

Next, Prasiolite constructed a large, merry-go-round, the kind anyone could easily find in any amusement park. Pulling the lever, Prasiolite watched as the merry-go-round began to spin slowly, playing a jolly tune as the rides began to bop up and down. But soon the merry-go-round began to spin faster and faster, until the ride was moving so fast it became complete blur. Prasiolite stared at the spinning wheel with mild curiosity before they noticed the wind beginning to to pick up at an alarming pace just as the merry-go-around had reached terminal velocity and began to generate a miniature hurricane in the center of the beach.

_Rebuilding the P.O.P-P.O.P Cannon Attempt 37_

Prasiolite stood in the cockpit of a gigantic, high tech battle suit, equipped with powerful gauntlets for hands, mounted rocket launchers on its shoulders, and series of assault turrets at its waistline. It was a fearsome sight to behold, looking to be capable of nothing short of absolute destruction Grinning like a lunatic, Prasiolite took one single step forward in the battle suit, only to immediately lose balance and topple down to its side. Prasiolite tried to wiggle one of suits arms in the air, but other than flailing helpless, the suit seemed completely incapable of pulling itself back up.

_Rebuilding the P.O.P-P.O.P Cannon Attempt 44_

Prasiolite was now wearing a huge jetpack, many times their own size, strapped onto their back, equipped with dual thruster rockets and a pair of wings. Adjusting their goggles over their eyes, Prasiolite took position on the makeshift runway and activated the accelerator on the jetpack. The thrusters powered up and in, the jetpack fired off into the air, leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke as a trail. When the smoke cleared, Prasiolite remained standing exactly where they were. Surprised, they glanced down at the now broken leather strap they had used to secure the rocket propelled jetpack, failing to understand what went wrong.

_Rebuilding the P.O.P-P.O.P Cannon Attempt 72_

Prasiolite dressed as sophisticated opera conductor, waving a small baton stick in their hands as they coordinated an entire orchestra comprised of tiny robotic bears, who were playing variety of instruments on top of a miniature stage, conducting a beautiful and majestic symphony while Jasper and Lapis were watched from small audience stands, appreciating the music, yet having no idea how they got to this point.

_Rebuilding the P.O.P-P.O.P Cannon Attempt 118_

This time, Prasiolite had gone for something rather simple and created a small, light up pen. Smiling broadly, they clicked the top of the pen, but nothing seemed to happen. Frowning, Prasiolite clicked the pen a few more times as it refused to light up, not noticing of the fact the sky above them changed color every time they clicked.

_Rebuilding the P.O.P-P.O.P Cannon Attempt 256_

Prasiolite had finally done it. They had successfully rebuilt the P.O.P.P.O.P cannon. There they stood, proudly atop of their achievement, the gleam of the sunlight cast perfectly to illuminating the brilliance of both the inventor and invention, all the while being showered in praise and adulation from Jasper and Lapis, cheering the tiny Fusion for their success. There was even a chorus of fanfare, fireworks, confetti and parade floats dedicated in honor of Prasiolite to cement this great accomplishment.

….This event was nothing more than computer generated image being displayed on a large screen, at the bottom of which read a small disclaimer, saying, 'Montage Generator'. The real Prasiolite, Jasper and Lapis were sitting back on three lawn chairs, watching as this machine had just run through a simulated montage sequence. Unfortunately, while this machine could calculate any number of different montages, it lacked the ability to actually show the detailed process of how the cannon was successfully rebuilt since that it would inherently defeat the purpose of the montage, which was to skip over events without explanation.

* * *

Finally, after an incompressible about of failed attempts, the three Gems now stood on the beach, surrounded by dozens of Prasiolite's failed and mangled inventions, none of which resembled their original cannon, or really any of that would be practical use in general.

"Okay, the montage didn't seem to work". Prasiolite said, pacing up and down. They appeared no less disheartened than ever, despite their lack of success. "But they say every failure is a step toward success. Granted, we don't know how many steps are left, but at least we are going in the right direction!"

Sadly, this sense of optimism was not a collective feeling. Although Lapis appeared far more weary looking than outright frustrated by the situation, Jasper was clearly at the utmost limits of her patience, looking ready to kill something at the slightest jostle.

"Oh, wait, I know!" Prasiolite exclaimed suddenly, snapping their fingers. "We needed a catchy song to play through the montage as we shuffled through each of our failures. Now what song should we use? I know another thing! We'll do a montage of songs to figure out the song for our montage. But wait, then we'd still need a catchy song for the montage of finding catchy songs that we'll be using for our montage of rebuilding the cannon. Oh boy, this is getting confusing. Don't worry, we can solve this. We just need to work out the correct number of montages."

Prasiolite pulled out a small clipboard and pen from within their oversized shirt, already jotting down what could only be some inconceivable form of math as they began to calculate exactly how many montages they would need, while remaining innocently oblivious to Jasper lumbering toward them. "Now let's see. First, carry the one and….

"ENOUGH!"

Jasper ripped the clipped board from Prasiolite's hand and snapped it in half. "Stop messing around building these stupid, useless things! We need weapons, we need equipment, we need something can we protect ourselves with!"

"I hear you loud and clear Jasper" Prasiolite said, saluting her. "I know the perfect way we can protect ourselves". They picked up some random scrapes of metal and in brief green blur of their hands, transformed the pieces into a large metal helmet. "Nothing says better protection than good hear gear!"

This was obviously not the answer Jasper had been expecting and it clearly did nothing to temper her ever building rage, her left eye now twitching, and her teeth bared. Behind her, Lapis sighed wearily and placed her hand over her eyes, mentally prepping herself for the storm that was about to break.

Prasiolite's smile faltered slightly as they finally seemed to notice that something was off about Jasper's deposition. "Oh, wait, I forgot, you already have a helmet, Jasper"

With a furious roar, Jasper snatched the helmet from Prasiolite's hands and crushed it into powder; this time, her fury was apparent enough that Prasiolite finally dropped their cheery smile and carefree demeanor as they began to cower under Jasper's intense gaze.

"Don't you understand why you're here!?" she said. "Black Onyx is still out there! We just barely managed to beat him last time. What happens if he comes back and we aren't ready?! Don't you realize how serious this is? All your doing is wasting your time and your powers, when you could be doing something useful!"

"Jasper, they're doing their best" Lapis said, heatedly. "You should let them work at their own pace."

"They're doing nothing except goofing around and wasting everyone's time, especially their own!" Jasper snapped impatiently. She turned back to Prasiolite who now looked thoroughly admonished. "Now for the last time, you have to focus. No more distractions". Jasper unceremoniously picked Prasiolite up by the collar of their shirt, carrying the tiny Fusion over to a large heap of unused metal before setting them down on the ground again. "You are going to sit still and make _something_ useful out of all this junk. When we come back, I expect to see some real results. Understand?"

"I…I understand" Prasiolite said quietly, lowering their head; all their unbridled excitement and confidence had now turned to melancholy. "I'll….I'll try and focus. "

"Good" Jasper grunted, before walking away from them, leaving to them work. "Come on, no more babysitting" she said, preemptively grabbing Lapis the arm and pulling her along with her just as she was about to voice another objection. Regardless, Lapis followed behind Jasper, while casting a sad look over her shoulder to Prasiolite, who now stood alone, surrounded by the mountains metal.

"Are you sure you should be pressuring them like that?" Lapis asked, once she and Jasper were far enough way.

"They need a little pressure." Jasper said, curtly.

"Too much pressure can overwhelm them" Lapis said, pulling her arm free from Jasper's grip, while glaring at the back of her head with a challenging look. Jasper stopped walking. She slowly turned around to meet Lapis's disapproving eye with a cold, yet ambivalent expression.

"I know what I'm doing, Lapis" she said, quietly, before turning away from her again.

* * *

"Ok. Gotta focus. Focus, focus, focus". Prasiolite took a deep inhale and slapped their hands to their cheeks. They began to jog on the spot, psyching themselves up for the task ahead, clearing their mind of any distractions and ready to devote all energy to seeing this through to the end. This was it. This was go-time.

Feeling more ready than ever, Prasiolite for reached for a small metal pipe and some wiring. They held the items aloft in the air and staring at them with intensity as they waited. And waited, and waited, and waited…..

Prasilite's determined expression soon dropped, as they sucked in their lips, unsure what to expect as nothing seemed to be happening. They knew they could build this cannon, that much was certain, yet now that were at this point, everything just seemed… wrong. They couldn't understand why, but for some reason, they couldn't bring themselves to get started. They tried to remember the design of the cannon, the amount of material that went into creating it, the inspiration that propelled them forward, but every time they tried to put their thoughts together, their mind became a total blank. They tried to focus as hard as possible, yet this only seemed to be pushing their thoughts further away from their mind.

Prasiolite shook their head in an effort to clear up the jumbled mess of their mind. They couldn't afford to waste any more time. They needed to make a start, to make some kind of progress, even if it was only a little. Maybe once they started putting some pieces together, it would begin to make sense.

Prasiolite took off, moving as speedy green blur as they grabbed another handful of nearby metal around, forming them into another invention in less than a minute. However, once they had finished, instead of creating some new amazing piece of technology, all they had managed to do was create was a kind of twisted lump of misshapen metal that was more likely to pass as some kind of bold, modern public artwork, than a weapon of mass destruction.

"Hmm, okay, maybe this?" Prasiolite enveloped the metal shape in another green whirlwind, attempting to reform it into something else, but the end result was an even more mangled creation.

"Maybe it was over here? Or maybe, I put it like this? O-o-or maybe it was upside down? Um, how does this work again?"

Prasiolite continued to buzz around in all directions, manipulating, adding, removing and reconfiguring the metal shape in a number of different ways, trying to create something that may at least resembled the cannon, yet they were continuously unsuccessfully. They soon found that the lack of progress only further frustrated and worried them. Why wasn't this working? They managed to build all those other incredible devices, so why are they failing to build anything now. Why didn't any of it feel right? Jasper said they'd be back soon. How much time did they have left? How much time have they already wasted?

Pushing their worry and doubt out of their mind, Prasiolite doubled their speed, moving so fast, that they were actually out of breath when they finally stopped moving. But this time it seemed like they had finally done it, having managed to build a completely intact P.O.P-P.O.P cannon. However, Prasiolite's ecstatic smile didn't last long, as there was a loud creaking sound and a second later, the cannon fell completely to pieces.

"Oh, this isn't working!" Prasiolite moaned, grabbing fistfuls of their hair as a fresh wave of panic was now setting in. "Why can't I figure it out? Why can I make this work? Wait a second I know. I'll….I'll just build another really cool weapon instead! That's sure to fix things. Let's what do we need?" . "It's gotta be really big and powerful and cool and…and….oh, but where do I start?" Prasiolite glanced around wildly at the piles of wreckage around, desperately trying to force some kind of amazing new idea to strike them yet felt they had just as much chance as being struck by actual lighting at this point.

"Gotta focus! Come on, focus!" Prasiolite shut their eyes and scrunched their face so tightly the color rose in their cheeks. What was wrong with them? They had come up hundreds of ideas today, yet now their mind felt empty and devoid of any creative spark. Prasiolite knew there had to be at least one great idea in their mind somewhere. They couldn't afford to wait for it come to them on its own, they had to make it appear and they had to do it now, no matter what it took.

* * *

"Okay, hour is just about up." Jasper said, as she and Lapis made their way back to the area where they had left Prasiolite to work. "Let's see how much progress they've made. Hopefully, they built something we can actually use this time."

Lapis glared darkly at Jasper once again, before she stopped walking. Jasper walked ahead for another few paces before she realized Lapis had stopped behind her.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Lapis said, shaking her head, sounding disappointed, but not surprised. "They're not some tool for you to use for your benefit. I knew this was a bad idea."

"It's not for my benefit, it's for all of us" Jasper replied, angrily. "Sooner or later, we're going to have to face Onyx and Pearl again, and I intend for us to be ready for when that happens. Would rather we just sit on our hands all day?"

"That still doesn't give you the right to push us around." Lapis snapped, heatedly. "We're supposed to be a team. That means we have to trust each other for support when the time comes. What your doing isn't trust, it's fear!"

Jasper groaned angrily, now rubbing her eyes. "Look, I shouldn't have to explain myself when I'm the one trying to protec-"

"Guys, guys, guys!" Prasiolite suddenly ran up to Jasper and Lapis, smiling, yet breathing very heavy. Their face was covered in sweat, huge bags now formed under their eyes, and their hair was in a disheveled state, looking as though they had just gone several days without any sleep.

"Prasiolite, are you ok?" Lapis asked, hesitantly, but the tiny Fusion ignored her.

"I did! I finally made something really useful this time!" they exclaimed. "Jasper was totally right, I just needed some extra motivation."

Pausing for a moment of surprise, Jasper soon crossed her arms and smirked smugly at Lapis, who rolled her eyes in disgust, unwilling to the Quartz solider any satisfaction.

"So, what have you made?" Jasper asked.

Prasiolite took a deep breath, using the back of one of their arms to wipe away some of the sweat from their forehead. "Okay, I couldn't figure out how to make the cannon again, so then I decided to just build something else out of this material instead, but then I couldn't figure out what to make, so then I ended up making this!"

Prasilolite reached under their shirt and pulled out a rectangular bar, which looked much like a remote control for a TV, only it had just one single green button in the center of it.

"Okay" Jasper said. "And what's that supposed to-?"

Without pausing to let Jasper finish her question, Prasiolite immediately pressed the green button. A loud humming sound rang through the air as a sonic vibration erupted from the remote and passed harmlessly across the beach. For a moment nothing happened. Then the pieces of metal debris began to rattle and one by one, they started to lift themselves off the ground, floating up into the air, as though being tugged by invisible ropes. Two pieces suddenly flung toward each other like a pair of magnets. Then another pieces, and another, each piece clamping onto the other they converged into the one spot in the air. Jasper and Lapis shared brief a look with one another, having no clue what was happening. Prasiolite's eyes were now wide with a kind of mad desperation.

"This'll work, this'll definitely work! It'll stick everything together. It has to make something good!"

Soon enough, the metal debris began to form the rough outline of shape and once every piece had been attached, the form created was that of a monstrous, behemoth that loomed over the beach and the Crystal Gems. Its overall shaped appeared humanoid if somewhat disproportional in some areas, with broad shouldered, thick arms, with razor sharp blades of shrapnel which extending from its head down its back, resembling a thick mane of hair.

Lapis stared up at the colossal behemoth that stood before them, running her eyes along its body and hair, with a vague sense of familiarity before she cast a dry look over to Jasper.

"….What?" Jasper said, indignantly, refusing to acknowledge the coincidence. She then turned to Prasiolite, throwing her head up at the metal behemonth. "What is this thing supposed to be?"

"Well, I…." Prasiloite said, looking just as surprised as anyone by this development; they were expecting something to happen, but clearly not this. "Uh….that is to say….I think it's…um…"

"It's going to attack us, isn't it?" Lapis finished, deadpanned, accepting the inevitable.

"…Yes" Prasiolite squeaked, slumping their shoulders in defeat.

On cue, the behemoth raised its mangled iron fist and smashed it down upon the Crystal Gems, who just barely managed to avoid the attack, Lapis sprouting her wings and flying up into the air, while Jasper grabbed Prasiolite and leapt out of the way. The behemoth swung at the now airborne Lapis. Raising her hands upwards, Lapis summoned four chains of water from the ocean which latched onto the behemoth, pulling it back toward the water.

As Jasper watched Lapis struggle to hold the behemoth at bay, Prasiolite pressed the button on their remote-control device again and again, shaking it frantically as it became clear they had no idea how to reverse what they had done.

"Prasiolite, what did you do?" Jasper snapped angrily. "How do we stop this thing?"

Prasiolite was now sweating profusely, biting their fingernails as they struggled to find a way to explain themselves. "It was like I just…..I mean, I thought….I was trying to….oh, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!"

In sudden a flash of light, Prasiolite dropped the remote and with a terrified cry, split apart right down the middle, reverting back into Steven and Peridot who landed opposite one another.

Peridot quickly scrambled for the remote, trying to make of sense it. "I don't how to operate this interface? What were we thinking when we made this? Seriously, do you remember, because I don't!"

"Maybe we should fuse again?" Steven said, desperate.

"But we might end up only making something worse!" Peridot replied.

"Or we might make something to fix everything?" Steven said, with a feeble smile.

"What's the matter with the two of you?" Jasper roared, throwing her hands out wide in front of Steven and Peridot. "You have the power to create any solution you want, so why can't you just make exactly what we need when we need it the most?!"

"Don't you get it?!" Lapis yelled, so loudly it drew everyone's attention to her, as she hovered in the air, turning to face the three of them, while still using only one hand to hold the metal behemoth back. Lapis eyes settled on Jasper with a look of cold fury. "You can't force them to perform for you! And you can't command them to act in the way you think is best. They can only work at their best in the way that feels most comfortable for them. Their creativity is something that needs to occur naturally on its own, not on some convenient demand"

The behemoth pulled harder at it chains, stretching it's arm out closer to almost grab Lapis in its palm, yet she held her gaze down to Jasper, as her expression began to soften slightly.

"I know you're scared that we might not be ready for the next threat comes to us. But we'll never be ready for anything unless we know that we can trust each other when the time comes. You have trust them, Jasper. They can handle this!"

Jasper stared up at Lapis, at a complete loss for words. She turned back to look at Steven and Peridot, before she sighed again. "Okay. I give up" she said, sounding truly exhausted. "You two stay back and figure something out."

"What are you going to do?" Peridot asked.

Jasper summoned up her crash helmet. "The only thing I'm good for around here." She launched herself upwards, striking the behemoth under its chin, knocking back so hard she actually broke the chains Lapis was using to hold it, sending it crashing into the ocean. As Lapis and Jasper now battled the behemoth together, Steven turned to Peridot, already making up his mind on what needed to be done.

"We gotta try and fuse one more time!"

"There's no guarantee Prasiolite can fix this mess" Peridot replied, looking unsure. "Do you really think that's the best course of action?"

Steven groaned, rubbing the side of his head, trying to lessen the splitting headache he was having. "I think I'm really tried of thinking about things. Maybe we should just stop thinking for minute and just start doing?"

"Hmm, I do think that's a good idea". Peridot said, nodding in agreement. Now that they were on the same page, the two of them clasped hands and in another flash of light, Prasiolite had return once more.

"Alright you monster!" they yelled boldly, pointing up at the behemoth as it was in the middle of trying to smash Jasper underfoot. "I brought up into this world and I will be your undoing! I'll figure out how to stop you no matter how hard it…oh wait that's what was missing."

Dropping the dramatic pretense, Prasiolite causally picked up the remote-control device they used earlier to create the behemoth. With a slight popping sound, they pulled the green button out from the center of the remote. Prasiolite then reached their hand inside of their shirt and pulled out an another, identical button, the only difference being that it was red. They slotted the red button into the remote, just as Jasper crashed to the ground beside them.

"What are you doing?" Jasper coughed.

"Finishing up". Prasiolite answered casually, before they pressed the red button. The behemoth froze up instantly as it was just about to take another swing of its fist at Lapis. A second later, the behemoth's body blew up into thousands of pieces of scrap metal, which rained down across the beach. Jasper moved in quickly and pulled Prasiolite under her arm, shielded them as some of the debris came flying in their direction.

Once it was safe and the last of the shrapnel had fallen, Jasper released Prasiolite from her grasp, as Lapis landed down next to them. The beach, which was now covered in wreckage once again, had gone quiet, save for the casual crashing of the waves of the oceans. For now, it seemed like everything gone back to normal. Or at least the kind of normal where nothing was trying to kill them.

Prasiolite twirled the remote in their hand and gave a light blow of air over the tip of it. "That's what was bothering me. I forgot to put in the self-destructive sequence" they said, handing Jasper the remote. They then clapped their hands together, shaking away some non-existent dust. "Glad to have that off my mind. All in another day's work for the Crystal Gems"

And with that, Prasiolite closed their eyes and slowly toppled backwards just as they unfused again, both Steven and Peridot landing flat on their backs beside one another, completely exhausted.

"Looks like we did it" Steven said weakly, feeling as though he could sleep for a week.

"Ya….hoo….." Peridot wheezed

"You guys did a good job" Lapis said. She took a brief glance around the beach. "Except it looks like the beach has to be cleaned up again"

"And we have no cannon" Jasper sighed, resigning to the failure, while crushing the remote in her hands for added measure.

"They could always try again later?" Lapis suggested, opting for perhaps some level of optimism.

With a slight grunt Steven, pushed himself upright again. "You know, I'm starting to think that maybe Prasiolite isn't a good idea" he said, somewhat dejectedly. "They'll either make something amazing to save the day or something amazing to destroy the world"

"I…have to agree with Steven" Peridot added, though far more bitter sounding. With some effort, she managed to push herself back to her feet again, before offering a helping hand to Steven. "Prasiolite is too unreliable. It seems Steven's eagerness to please others, combined with an unaccounted sense of over-enthusiasm, leads to a total lack of self-control and restraint. For the time being, Prasiolite will have to remain indisposed"

"So… this was all a complete waste of time?" Lapis said, flatly.

"I'm sorry we let you down Jasper." Steven said, feeling deeply saddened at today's outcomes.

"Forget it" Jasper said, waving her hand, sounding almost as exhausted as Steven felt. "You two did your best." She hesitated for a moment. "I…can't ask you for anything more than that"

Peridot threw her head back and let out a furious roar to the sky. She started kicking away at random pieces of metal. "First, I lose my limb enhancers, now we can't do fusion. And now we have to start clearing up this mess all over again!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the familiar mountain of alien debris and metal that once again had littered their beach. "Stupid, stupid, stupid clods!" Peridot now started grabbing at random pieces of metal, throwing them up into the air without any sense of direction, as she vented out her anger. "I can't believe we went through all that effort just to end up further from where we had started. If there is one thing, I hate more than being unproductive, it's being counterproductive!"

"Um, Peridot?" Steven said.

"What?" Peridot snapped, wheeling around to the others. It was then that she noticed the wide eyed looks on their faces, as they were staring at something behind her. Surprised, Peridot turned around and saw what was drawing everyone's attention.

One of the rectangular pieces of metal that she had thrown away was now hovering in the middle of the air, being suspended by absolutely nothing. Both surprised and curious at this development, Peridot then noticed her outstretched hand, which was coincidentally pointed in the direction of the metal. She slowly lifted her arm up a little higher. The metal rose up a few inches in the air. Peridot swung her hand up and down, watching in amazement as the metal followed her command.

"I didn't know you could that" Lapis said, sounding surprised.

"Well obviously I didn't either which is why I have to concentrate so much right now." Peridot said impatiently, making several odd gestures with her hands as she tried to navigate control of the metal piece to back toward her.

"You have metal powers?" Steven exclaimed. "Peridot, that's awesome! Do you know what this means? You can open really tight jars. You can remove staples without a staple remover. You can open doors without having to touch them after you wash your hands."

Steven continued to pace back and forth in excitement as he listened more and more mundane things Peridot could do with her newly discovered power, while Lapis stood next to Peridot, watching with mild interest as she fervently tried to pull the metal back toward her.

Jasper stood afar from the others, showing no great interest in what was happening, only watching as Peridot finally caught hold of the metal piece, which caused her to jump and squeal with joy, already bragging about her apparent mastery of her new powers, while Steven and Lapis enthusiastically congratulated her. Jasper almost had to bit back a small laugh at how excited the three of them looked, as though they saved the world from complete destruction. It was a small, practically trivial achievement, but as much as Jasper hated to admit, it was still more than what she had managed to accomplish today.

"Huh. It's a start".

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review to share any thoughts you might have and I'll see you next time
> 
> Peace out


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